THE  SMEAD  SYSTEM 

OF 

DRY  CLOSETS 

IN  THE 

Cleveland  High  School  Building. 


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THE  LIBRARIES 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 


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Office  of  ISAAC  I).  SMI- AO  & CO. 


To  correct  false  impressions  caused  by  the  fierce,  umcarranted  and  malicious  attacks  of  the 
Cleveland  Leader  which  have  been  continued  for  nearly  four  years,  upon  our  system  of  warming, 
ventilation  and  closets,  and  which  are  exciting  considerable  comment  and  causing  many  inquiries 
from  our  friends  and  customers  throughout  the  country,  is  the  especial  object  of  the  publication  of 
this  his  tory  of  the  entire  situation  from  commencement  to  date.  The  following  is  what  the  writer 
would  have  said  at  a recent  meeting  of  the  Cleveland  Board  could  he  have  had  the  opportunity 
to  do  so.  This  opportunity  was  denied,  as  were  also  any  remarks  upon  the  subject  by  am/  of  the 
large  number  of  prominent  citizens  of  Cleveland  who  were  present  at  the  time  and  who  desired  to  be 
heard  in  defense  of  (he  truth  : 

Mr.  Chairman,  Gkxti.emen  of  tiik  Board  and  Citizens  of  Cleveland:  For  more  than 
twenty  years  1 have  been  actively  engaged  in  the  business  of  inventing,  manufacturing  and  selling 
warming  and  ventilating  apparatus  and  as  a result  am  to-day  the  most  extensive  manufacturer  in 
this  line  in  America.  I mention  this  fact  to  call  to  your  attention  to  the  possibility  that  I may 
know  a little  more  about  the  subject  than  parties  engaged  in  other  lines,  and  possibly  more  than 
those  engaged  in  the  publication  of  sensational  articles  in  tJie  Cleveland  Leader  or  Penny  Press. 

I am  not  here  this  evening,  however,  to  advertise  my  business  or  to  attack  the  press  of  your 
-city.  It  is  useless  to  do  the  latter , for  they  have  the  larger  audience.  The  business  which  should 
engage  our  serious  attention  this  evening  is  to  devise  some  plan  whereby  the  senseless  panic  created 
by  a lying  press  may  be  stopped  and  the  dangers  incident  thereto  be  averted,  for  I wish  to  assure 
you  most  positively  that  I am  more  anxious  to  quiet  the  groundless  fears  of  the  people  who  have 
been  frightened  than  I am  to  protect  personal  or  commercial  interests,  and  to  this  end  I will  as 
briefly  as  is  possible  lay  before  you  the  exact  situation.  I have  nothing  to  hope  for  from  the  press, 
and  aside  from  the  harm  it  has  done  to  others  1 am  indifferent  as  to  what  it  may  say. 

For  many  years  thousands  and  thousands  of  dollars  were  squandered  in  attempts  to  warm 
and  ventilate  your  public  school  buildings.  About  two  vcars  ago,  after  experimenting  a year  with 
my  apparatus  in  an  old  building,  your  Board  of  Education  contracted  to  introduce  complete  appa- 
ratus in  several  new  buildings.  At  once  the  Leade r,  in  an  editorial,  condemned  your  action  and 
made  many  statements  concerning  the  heating  apparatus  that  were  untrue.  We  asked  for  a re- 
porter to  interview  the  teachers  in  the  buildings,  also  teachers  in  the  West  Cleveland  building  and 
two  trustees  of  Hiram  College,  residents  of  vour  city,  Messrs.  Teaehout  and  Bowler.  The  report 
contradicted  every  statement  made  by  the  editor  and  he  charged  me  50  cent>  a line  to  publish  it. 
Since  then  I have  had  but  little  confidence  in  that  portion  of  the  “great  American  press. 


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ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


The  successful  operation  of  the  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus  in  the  school  buildings 
erected  two  years  ago  could  not  be  well  denied,  and  because  of  the  success  of  the  system  of  closets 
introduced  in  connection  therewith  and  the  horrible  condition  of  the  water  closets  in  your  high 
school  building  and  in  the  Rockwell  building  your  board  introduced  the  closet  system  ( only  the 
closets)  in  those  two  buildings. 

Now,  what  is  the  Smead  system  of  dry  closets  ? Simply  the  application  of  natural  laws  in 
the  construction  of  closets,  whereby  natural  instead  of  artificial  means  are  employed  to  destroy  and 
render  harmless  the  offal  of  the  human  system.  Five-sixths  of  all  human  deposit  is  water.  The 
Smead  system  takes  away  the  water  and  leaves  in  the  brick  and  iron  vault  the  other  one-sixth,  dry 
and  hard,  ready  to  burn  . like  shavings  by  application  of  a lighted  match,  as  was  demonstrated  in  the 
presence  of  fifty  of  your  citizens  at  the  High  School  Saturday.  “The  closet  apartments  are  more 
free  from  odor  than  a well  kept  pantry  or  parlor.”  One  gentleman,  after  examination,  said:  “I  con- 
fess that  these  results  create  in  my  mind  a deep  and  profound  impression.  Here  is  a system  of 
closets  sufficient  to  accommodate  hundreds  of  pupils,  in  constant  use  for  eight  months,  at  limited 
cost,  in  perfect  condition,  with  no  noisome  odors  ; no  unsightliness;  no  pipes  ; no  waterworks  ; no 
plumbers’  appliances  ; no  sewerage  system  ; no  loathsome  and  disease  creating  cesspools  ; no  stifling 
disinfectants  ; nothing  but  a free  and  unobstructed  circulation  of  God’s  atmosphere.” 

The  remarkable  success  of  the  dry  closet  system  since  its  first  introduction  has  been  exceeded 
by  but  few  inventions.  The  first  set  was  erected  in  Toledo  five  years  ago  ; since  that  time  they 
have  been  introduced  in  over  twenty  public  school  buildings  there — both  outside  and  inside  closets 
have  been  abandoned  and  mine  substituted.  Last  summer  an  elegant  stone  and  brick  building,  four 
stories  high,  costing  over  £3,000,  was  taken  down  and  my  system  built  into  the  basement.  One 
reason  why  this  was  done  was  because  of  a petition  presented  to  Board  of  Education  signed  by  every 
property  holder  on  that  street. 

As  before  stated,  there  are  over  twenty  school  buildings  in  Toledo  containing  the  dry  closet 
system.  Have  you  heard  of  any  epidemic  there  ? No  ; nor  will  you  hear  of  any.  Toledo  papers 
are  not  noted  for  efforts  to  create  a sensation  and  to  date  seem  to  prefer  the  truth  to  error. 

Three  years  ago  the  system  was  first  introduced  in  one  school  building  in  Washington,  D.  C. 
Two  years  ago  in  eleven  more.  Elaborate  and  expensive  systems  of  water  closets  (the  most  expen- 
sive I have  ever  seen)  were  removed  from  four  buildings  as  large  as  yours,  and  mine  substituted. 
Their  operation  was  so  satisfactory  that  last  year,  1888,  they  contracted  with  me  for  nine  more 
buildings,  and  inside  of  the  next  three  months  will  introduce  them  in  six  more,  making  twenty- 
seven  school  buildings  with  the  closets  and  thirty-eight  with  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus. 
Have  you  heard  of  any  officer-elect  or  any  office  seeker  who  has  hesitated  to  go  to  Washington  dur- 
ing the  last  three  years  because  of  the  use  there  of  the  Smead  system  of  dry  closets  ? 

There  are  no  more  beautiful  homes  in  Cleveland  than  in  Toledo  and  Washington,  and  people 
there  value  their  lives  as  much  as  they  do  in  Cleveland.  There  is  no  city  in  America  with  a better 
opportunity  to  dispose  of  sewage  than  the  city  of  Detroit.  People’s  lives  are  of  as  much  value 
there  as  here.  When  the  system  had  been  introduced  in  five  school  buildings  in  that  city,  much 
against  the  wishes  of  the  steam  heating  apparatus  manufacturers,  a Detroit  paper,  aided  by  plumb- 
ers and  their  allies,  commenced  a crusade  against  us,  compared  with  which  the  efforts  of  the  Cleve- 
land Leader  are  as  mild  as  a summer  morning.  I was  caricatured,  ridiculed  and  assailed  with  more 
ability  than  to  date  the  Leader  has  given  evidence  of.  I was  there,  as  here,  called  a bribe  giver  and 
the  board  bribe  takers.  The  board  appointed  a committee  of  several  doctors.  As  soon  as  they  made 
their  report  contract  was  awarded  me  to  furnish  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus  for  seven  more 
buildings,  and  after  two  years’  use  the  board  are  going  to  introduce  it  in  five  more  buildings. 

The  ignorant  (?)  doctors  who  compose  the  faculty  of  the  Detroit  College  of  Medicine  and 
who  are  now  erecting  one  of  the  finest  college  buildings  in  the  United  States  are  also  introducing 
the  same  system  and  apparatus  that  the  Leader  calls  a “ death  trap  ” and  all  other  hard  names  it 


ISAAC  1).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


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can  think  of  and  because  of  lies  published  by  the  Leader  the  people,  knowing  little  or  nothing  about 
the  true  condition  of  affairs,  have  been  blindly  led  into  a condition  of  mind  serious  at  the  present 
time  and  liable  to  be  more  so  if  something  is  not  done  to  turn  them  in  the  right  direction. 

I will  not  take  your  time  to  call  attention  to  the  use  of  these  closets  in  more  than  100  cities 
other  than  those  named.  In  the  manufacture  of  heating  apparatus  I am  opposed,  by  other  manu- 
facturers, and  especially  by  manufacturers  of  steam  heating  apparatus;  in  the  introduction  of  the 
closet  system  by  the  plumbers,  and  these  combined  make  life  somewhat  of  a burden  to  me.  A re- 
sult of  their  action,  aided  by  the  press  and  the  natural  inclination  of  the  people  to  cry  “ stop  thief” 
if  the  cry  is  once  started,  has  caused  the  excitement  here  and  great  damage  to  my  business.  An 
error  was  made  when  the  closets  were  first  erected.  This  error  was  corrected  by  me  and  at  my  ex- 
pense, and  from  that  day  to  this  there  has  been  no  more  perfect  system  of  closets  on  earth  than  in 
your  High  School  building.  No  man , woman  or  child  living  in  Cleveland  or  elseivhere  has  ever 
smelled  an  odor  from  those  closets  or  those  two  ventilating  stacks.  The  building  never  had  any 
ventilation,  and  the  architect  who  built  it  ten  years  ago  holds  a written  document  from  the  Board 
releasing  him  from  all  responsibility  for  the  system  that  was  introduced.  It  never  was  ventilated 
until  I introduced  the  closets,  and  from  that  day  to  this  those  two  ventilating  flues  have  drawn 
from  the  basement  over  600,000  cubic  feet  per  hour , and  most  of  the  time  the  air  drawn  from  the 
basement  has  come  from  the  rooms  above  it. 

When  1 first  suggested  the  system  of  closet  construction  I was  told  it  “ would  not  dry  the 
deposits.”  It  did  do  it.  Myself  and  customers  were  then  cautioned  against  “back  drafts.”  The 
back  drafts  did  not  come.  They  then  said  we  secured  all  our  contracts  by  improper  means.  “ Boo- 
dle,. boodle,  dear  boodle,”  was  their  cry,  until  someone  said  the  air  of  the  neighborhood  was  being 
poisoned  and  that  people  were  dying  like  sheep  in  the  desert,  and  a return  to  the  water  carriage 
system  would  correct  the  trouble.  In  other  words,  if  you  will  dump  the  filth  into  the  water  you 
drink  and  breathe  the  gases  that  come  to  you  through  city  sewers  ventilated  into  your  streets , you 
will  be  more  healthy,  contented  and  happy  than  if  only  the  gases  from  the  closets  are  discharged  a 
hundred  feet  in  the  air  and  so  disseminated  that  only  one  partin  1 0,000,000  parts  can  be  discovered. 
And  when  you  consider  the  small  space  occupied  by  man  as  compared  with  all  space  you  can  mul- 
tiply by  100,000,000  more.  The  figures  I give  you  are  correct. 

The  first  iron  plow  was  invented  in  1797,  and  it  was  rejected  by  the  New  Jersey  farmers 
because  it  poisoned  the  soil.  The  people  of  England  said  the  use  of  the  railroad  train  would  ren- 
der horses  of  no  value  and  so  shake  the  country  that  eggs  would  not  hatch.  Notwithstanding  the 
above  statements  a large  number  of  plows  are  used,  horses  command  a high  price  and  spring  chick- 
ens are  always  on  the  market. 

Now,  if  you  wish  to  return  to  the  water  carriage  system  you  can  do  so.  It  is  only  a ques- 
tion of  a short  time  when  you  will  return  to  the  dry  closet.  I have  no  fear  of  this.  If  you  erect 
closets  in  the  yard  the  citizens  will  complain  worse  than  they  do  now,  and  with  a just  reason  for 
complaint. 

If,  to  meet  the  public  demand,  whether  it  be  senseless  or  not,  you  wish  to  go  back  to  the 
water  system,  I would  suggest  that  you  avoid  complaint  from  immediate  neighbors  and  the  large 
expense  incident  to  outside  construction,  by  constructing  in  the  vault  you  now  have,  long  troughs 
suspended  directly  under  the  seats.  Fill  these  with  water  and  as  often  as  you  may  direct,  the  jani- 
tor can  pull  a plug  and  discharge  the  contents  of  the  water  pan  into  the  sewer.  All  odors  arising 
from  the  vaults  will  be  taken  off  through  the  ventilating  stacks. 

Complaint  is  made  that  the  school  rooms  are  not  ventilated.  With  them  I have  never  had 
anything  to  do.  They  can  easily  be  ventilated  by  following  the  plan  I suggested  last  fall.  You 
can  connect  your  present  vaults  with  the  sewer  and  secure  “ water  carriage”  and  thorough  ventila- 
tion of  closets  for  §200  to  §250.  For  about  an  equal  amount  you  can  ventilate  to  the  extent  your 
steam  heating  apparatus  will  admit,  one-half  the  school  rooms.  If  you  will  build  the  other  two 


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ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


stacks  as  high  as  the  highest  part  of  the  roof,  and  properly  connect  them  with  the  other  rooms,  you 
can  ventilate  the  other  half  of  the  building.  The  two  stacks  referred  to  are  now  twenty-one  feet 
below  the  highest  point  of  the  roof,  and  so  were  the  other  two  until  closets  were  introduced. 

I will  close  by  repeating  what  I have  said  once  before,  namely,  no  man,  woman  or  child 
ever  smelled  an  odor  that  came  from  the  top  of  the  tivo  stacks  with  which  the  closets  are  connected. 
The  germ  theory  scare  will  soon  die  and  its  originator  should  be  buried  alongside  the  originator 
of  the  poisoning-of-the-earth-by-the-iron-plow  theory. 


I)R.  HERRICK  INDORSES  THE  SMEAD  SYSTEM. 


Dr.  H.  ,T.  Herrick,  Professor  of  Hygiene  in  the  Cleveland  Medical  College,  was  one  of  the 
number  who  would  have  spoken  upon  the  subject,  and  learning  that  on  Saturday  he  visited  the 
Central  High  School  building  and  made  an  examination  of  the  Sniead  closet  system  in  operation 
there,  a Plain  Dealer  representative  interviewed  him  with  respect  to  his  views  of  that  system,  as 
follows  : 

Reporter:  “I  wish,  doctor,  you  would  state  somewhat  in  detail  your  opinion  of  the  so- 
called  Smead  system  of  dry-closets,  as  now  in  use  in  the  Central  High  School  building.” 

Dr.  Herrick  : “I  made  an  examination  of  the  closets  in  the  Central  High  School  building 
on  yesterday.  I had  heard  much  of  them  before  and  had  known  of  the  theoretical  principles 
involved  in  the  system,  but  never  had  personally  examined  it.  I think  that  system  is  based  on  ap- 
proved scientific  principles,  and  the  method  of  disposal  of  offal  I regard  as  far  superior  to  any 
water-closet  method  of  disposal  that  I have  ever  known,  being  less  objectionable  on  account  of 
offensive  odors,  and  more  free  from  danger  of  disease.  The  dropping  of  excrement  into  an  iso- 
lated vault  at  interrupted  intervals,  immediately  made  dry  by  a current  of  warm  air,  absolutely 
prevents  any  fermentative  or  putrefactive  changes  in  the  contents  and  obviates  any  theoretical 
danger  of  poisonous  emanations  from  the  material.  Noxious  gases  are  supposed  to  be  produced 
by  decomposition,  and  it  is  a theory,  not  universally  accepted  as  true,  that  in  that  decomposition 
germs  are  produced  which  are,  in  some  indefinable  way,  the  causes  of  disease.  That,  however,  is  a 
theory  and  a theory  only.  But  suppose  that  theory  to  be  true,  it  involves  for  the  development  of 
germs  an  element  not  present  in  the  Smead  system.  For  the  purpose  of  decomposition  there  must 
be  organic  matter,  heat  and  continued  moisture  ; but  in  the  Smead  system  there  is  an  absence  of 
continued  moisture  and  therefore  a lack  of  one  of  the  conditions  necessary  for  the  generation  of 
the  so  called  germs  of  disease.  But  it  is  claimed  that  the  gases  are  carried  out  through  the  high 
stack  or  Hue  and  dissipated  in  the  surrounding  community.  It  is  to  be  borne  in  mind,  however, 
that  the  effluvia  from  the  excrement  is  gradual,  from  day  to  day,  and  insignificant  as  compared  to 
the  noxious  effluvia  from  a thousand  sources  of  decomposition  around  our  homes. 

“The  capacity  of  the  atmosphere  for  the  disposal  of  noxious  gases  is  illimitable.  The  dispo- 
sition of  noxious  gases  is  so  rapid,  and  wisely  so,  that  when  any  poisonous  matter  has  been  carried 
into  the  air,  especially  at  the  height  of  the  stacks  of  the  High  School  building — even  conceding 
the  emanations  through  those  stacks  to  be  of  the  most  noxious  kind — the  disposition  is  so  rapid 
and  extensive  as  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  any  infection  from  that  source  to  the  neighborhood 
around.  I have  no  doubt  the  pernicious  effects  upon  the  neighborhood  of  emanations  from  a ma- 
nure pile,  the  offal  of  not  more  than  two  or  three  horses,  would  be  many  times  greater. 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


!) 

“ I would  regard  it  as  a calamity  to  have  the  Smead  system  removed  and  the  old  system  of 
water-closets  entering  the  sewer  substituted — a calamity  to  the  health  of  the  occupants  of  the 
building  and  to  the  health  of  the  people  of  the  community  around  about.  I would  regard  an  ar- 
rangement for  the  disposal  of  offal  in  an  annex,  connecting  with  the  sewer,  as  involving  much  more 
danger  to  the  community  from  unwholesome  odors  and  noxious  gases  than  the  present  system.  I 
speak  now  only  of  the  method  for  the  disposal  of  excreta  and  not  with  reference  to  the  ventil- 
ating conditions  of  the  building,  which  may  be  defective  from  lack  of  minor  appliances.  I have 
no  interest  in  the  Smead  system  but  have  a very  great  interest  in  the  school. 

“ My  son  is  in  the  High  School  in  the  second  year  of  his  course,  lie  was  sick  four  or  five 
days  during  the  present  term  with  manifest  derangement  of  the  system,  attributable  in  no  sense  to 
any  lack  of  ventilation  or  to  bad  air  but  from  disturbances  of  the  digestive  organs.  I have  had 
cases  of  sickness  in  the  vicinity  of  the  High  School  building  during  the  past  six  months,  but  in  no 
case  am  I able  to  attribute  the  diseased  conditions  manifested  to  any  noxious  emanations  from  the 
High  School  building.  It  is  difficult,  as  all  must  know,  to  specifically  fix  upon  any  one  factor 
as  the  cause  of  disease,  as,  from  experience,  reading  and  theory  we  would  not  expect  usually  that 
any  one  cause  was  to  be  regarded  as  the  immediate  factor  in  producing  disease,  but  a combination 
of  causes  usually  prevails.  We  may  say  generally  that  any  factor  which  impairs  or  tends  to  im- 
pair the  function  of  respiration  would  be  a significant  cause  of  disease.  Respiration  involves  the 
complex  process  of  the  elimination  of  effete  material  from  the  lungs  and  the  skin  at  the  same  time 
that  the  oxygen  of  the  air  is  imparted  to  the  blood.  Now,  if  the  noxious  material  exists,  either  in 
the  form  of  carbonic  acid  gas  or  ammonia  or  nitric  acid  in  undue  proportions,  the  noxious  gases 
mentioned  would  be  liable  to  impair  respiration  to  the  degree  of  their  unusual  presence.  It  is  to 
be  borne  in  mind  that  they  are  always  present  in  a larger  or  smaller  degree. 

“ I was  at  the  building  yesterday  during  the  process  of  burning  out  of  the  residue  of  fcecal 
matter  which  had  accumulated,  as  I learn,  since  last  September.  The  draft  was  at  the  time  unusu- 
ally strong,  caused  by  the  burning.  The  dryness  of  the  foecal  accumulations,  as  I saw  them,  would 
absolutely  preclude  any  of  the  fermentative  changes  which  I speak  of  as  essential  for  the  emana- 
tion of  noxious  gases.” 

Reporter:  “It  is  said  that  that  very  fact  demonstrates  that  the  system  is  dangerous, 
because  there  is  so  little  left  and  it  is  so  odorless,  that  all  noxious  vapors  must  have  been  thrown 
off  to  the  injuiy  of  the  community.” 

Dr.  Herrick.  “As  I have  already  indicated,  the  drying  out  process  has  prevented  the  fer- 
mentative or  putrefactive  changes  which  would  induce  the  generation  of  noxious  gases  in  the  air.” 

Reporter:  “It  is  said  again  that  it  is  vastly  better  to  pass  the  excreta  through  sewers  into 
the  lake  because  the  water  has  such  enormous  power  to  absorb  the  mephitic  gases  and  other  nox- 
ious vapors.” 

Dr.  Herrick  : “The  relative  capacity  of  air  and  water  for  destroying  noxious  elements  and 
for  purifying  might  be  a matter  of  some  question.  The  atmosphere  has,  to  mv  mind,  a very  much 
greater  capacity  tor  destroying  and  diffusing  the  noxious  germs  or  noxious  gases  than  the  water. 
According  to  authoritative  statements  sewer  water  has  a capacitv  for  discharging  an  almost  illimit- 
able amount  of  noxious  vapor  wherever  it  is  found.  Dr.  Letheby  found  that  sewage  water  excluded 
from  air  and  containing  128  grains  of  organic  matter  per  gallon  yielded  one  and  two-tenths  cubic 
inches  ot  gas  per  hour  during  a period  of  nine  weeks.  The  peculiar  fetid  smell  ol  sewage  gas  isow 
ing  to  the  presence  of  organic  matter  whose  exact  chemical  composition  has  not  been  determined. 
It  is  believed  by  some  to  be  carbo-ammoniacal.  According  to  Dr.  Cunningham  it  contains  distinct 
bacteria  and  other  low  forms  of  cell  life.  Now,  water  has  a capacity,  especially  running  water,  for 
purifying  itself.  It  is  claimed,  as  I remember  it,  that  a distance  in  rivers  of  twenty  miles  is  suf- 
ficient to  render  running  water  comparatively  pure  from  sewers  entering  the  river  above.  I am  not 
certain  as  to  the  distance,  but  this  is  a fair  estimate.  The  methods  by  which  water  is  purified  are 


10 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


by  animals  or  plants  in  the  water,  by  the  action  of  oxygen  upon  the  organic  matter,  that  is,  aeria- 
tion,  by  the  diffusion  of  the  noxious  material  and  by  sedimentation.  The  methods  of  purifying  the 
atmosphere  from  its  noxious  gases  and  elements  are  : By  the  rapid  diffusion  of  the  gases  in  the 
atmosphere,  by  the  action  of  oxygen  which  is  always  ready  to  consume — especially  where  there  is 
any  amount  of  ozone  it  is  active  for  the  destruction  of  organic  matter — and,  coincident,  is  the 
action  of  vegetable  life,  which  rapidly  consumes  by  an  appropriation  of  carbonic  acid  gases  and,  it 
is  supposed,  also  of  mephitic  gases.  These  are  the  natural  methods  by  which  the  atmosphere  is 
kept  free  from  gases  or  conditions  unfavorable  to  animal  life.” 

Reporter  : “It  is  charged  that  in  obedience  to  some  law  the  gases  and  the  vapors  escaping 
from  the  ventilating  stack  fall  to  the  ground  and  permeate  the  dwellings  in  the  neighborhood.” 

Dr.  Herrick  : “According  to  a well  known  law  the  diffusion  of  gases  is  in  a still  atmos- 
phere proportioned  to  the  square  of  the  distance.  Currents  of  air,  vdiids,  vastly  increase  the  rapidity 
of  the  diffusion.  Gases  discharged  into  the  atmosphere  the  height  of  the  High  School  stacks  are 
very  rapidly  diffused.  Bear  in  mind  that  the  contents  of  those  closet  vaults  are  comparatively  small. 
There  are  perhaps  500  evacuations  in  each  twenty-four  hours.  It  must  be  seen  that  the  vapors 
from  these  contents  are  very  rapidly  diffused  and  that  they  are  not  a perceptible  factor  for  render- 
ing the  atmosphere  impure.  They  are  not  to  be  mentioned  in  comparison  with  all  the  accompani- 
ments of  the  ordinary  household  and  stable.  I say  this  with  all  deliberation  that  the  placing  of  an 
annex  in  the  High  School  grounds  with  vaults  connected  with  a sewer  would  be  more  pernicious  in 
its  effect  upon  the  neighborhood  around  than  the  present  system.” 

Reporter  : “How  would  it  do  to  place  water  closets  in  the  building  ?” 

Dr.  Herrick  : “Placing  water  closets  in  the  building  would  be  even  more  objectionable,  as 
proven  by  the  experience  already  had.” 

Reporter  : “Does  the  diffusion  of  gases  and  noxious  vapors  render  them  harmless  ?” 

Dr.  Herrick  : “Most  certainly.  The  intensified  impurity  existing  at  the  point  of  emanation 
from  the  stack,  as  it  passes  into  the  air,  is  rapidly  diffused.  The  proportion  of  carbonic  acid  gas, 
doubtless  excessive  in  the  stack,  is  quickly  reduced  on  emanation  from  the  stack  and  diffusion 
through  the  atmosphere  to  the  amount  ordinarily  found.  The  proportion  of  this  gas  is  taken  as  an 
approximate  measure  of  all  impurities  in  the  air.  The  estimates  of  the  relative  amount  of  this  gas 
in  air  deemed  pure  for  respiration  varies  from  three-tenths  to  five-tenths  per  1,000,  or  3-100  to  5-100 
per  cent.  About  an  ordinary  dung  pile  the  amount  would  be  very  largely  increased,  and  about  a 
closet  where  this  gas  is  discharged.” 

Reporter : “What  is  your  idea  as  to  an  unusual  prevalence  of  disease  in  that  locality  during 
the  past  few  months  ?” 

Dr.  Herrick  : “I  have  not  discovered  any  unusual  prevalence  of  disease  in  that  vicinity.” 

Reporter  : “Why  would  you  consider  a water  closet  in  an  annex  or  detached  building  more 
harmful  than  the  present  system  ?” 

Dr.  Herrick  : “From  the  fact  that  there  is  always  with  a water  closet  more  or  less  scatter- 
ing or  spreading  of  urine  and  fcecal  matter  which  are  constantly  discharging  gases.  In  urinals  you 
are  almost  sure  to  have  an  offensive  odor  derivable  from  them  and  quite  as  offensive  and  unwhole- 
some as  the  gases  from  decomposing  fcecal  matter.  The  imperfection  also  of  traps,  which  all  rec- 
ognize, in  sewer  connections  render  the  dangers  from  that  source  quite  as  appreciable  as  from  any 
other  source.  I mean  to  say  that  the  defects  from  traps  render  the  liability  to  danger  quite  as  great 
as  from  anything  that  can  be  detected  in  the  present  system. 

Reporter  : “Is  not  the  fundamental  difference  between  the  water  closet  and  Smead  systems 
that  the  former  seeks  to  confine  all  gases  and  to  send  everything  through  sewers  to  the  lake  to  be 
there  purified,  while  by  the  latter  the  immediate  diffusion  of  the  gases  into  the  upper  air  is  sought? 
If  so,  which  do  you  deem  the  better  system  ?” 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


1 1 

Dr.  Herrick  : “The  Sinead  system  1 should  say  is  designed  to  prevent  putrefactive  changes 
in  the  matter  and  to  dispel  the  gases  that  arise,  into  the  air,  in  the  natural  way.  Conceive  of  the 
emanations  of  this  city  of  250,000  people  passing  into  the  air  and  with  them  the  emanations  from 
the  vast  number  of  animals  of  all  kinds  here  and  from  their  excreta  ! How  inappreciable  in  com- 
parison are  the  emanations  from  the  1,000  pupils  of  the  High  School,  which  through  a beneficent 
plan  of  the  diffusion  of  gases  by  and  through  the  atmosphere  are  rendered  harmless.  Contrast  then 
the  accumulations  of  organic  matter  in  water,  whether  standing  or  running,  which  are  much  more 
liable  to  discharge  noxious  gas  into  the  air  in  pent  up  places,  while  they  should  be  afforded  the  most 
free  diffusion.  I have  no  doubt  that  the  dangers  are  very  much  greater  with  a system  of  confining 
in  sewers  than  with  this  method.  I am  so  impressed  with  it  that  I should  much  prefer  to  have  a 
system  of  that  kind  in  my  house  than  any  system  of  water  closets  I now  have  and  I have  the  best 
that  could  be  obtained  at  the  time.  I give  this  as  my  free  will  opinion  in  the  interests  of  the 
public  health  and  of  sanitary  science.” 


A COMPLETE  STATEMENT  OF  THE  SITUATION. 


With  the  preceding  as  a preface,  I will  now,  and  as  briefly  as  possible,  make  a complete 
and  full  statement  of  the  entire  situation,  paying  as  little  attention  as  possible  to  the  Cleveland 
Leader  : 

Three  years  ago  three  gentlemen  came  into  my  office  in  Toledo,  about  11  o’clock  a.  m.,  in- 
troducing themselves  as  a committee  appointed  by  the  Cleveland  Board ’of  Education  and  author- 
ized to  purchase  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus  for  the  school  building  known  as  the  Eagle  Street 
School.  Concerning  their  visit  here  the  Leader , in  an  editorial  yesterday,  says  as  follows: 

“There  is  a moral  to  the  tale  that  practically  closed  in  the'Board  on  Monday,  and  it  should 
not  be  lost  sight  of.  The  introduction  of  the  Smead  system  into  the  schools  of  this  city  was  con- 
ceived in  iniquity  and  born  in  sin.  The  first  contract,  for  the  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus, 
without  the  closets,  in  the  Eagle  street  building,  was  the  result  of  jobbery  and  corruption.  Mem- 
bers and  officers  of  the  Board  were  taken  to  Toledo  to  investigate  the  system.  ,j They  were  wined 
and  dined,  taken  to  disreputable  places,  and  most  hospitably  treated  afterothe  fashion  prevailing 
among  lobbyists  and  corruptionists,  and  it  did  not  cost  them  a cent.  The  performance  was  the 
most  disgraceful  ever  recorded  of  the  most  disgraceful  Board  of  Education  the  city  ever  had.  It  is 
well  that  a system  thus  introduced  in  the  schools  should  be  ignominiously  expelled.” 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  every  statement  made  in  the  above  quotation  from  the  Leader  is  a 
lie,  pure  and  simple,  it  is  well  that  they  talk  about  “morals.”  The  lying  writer  had  better  talk 
about  his  own  morals  and  to  his  priest  rather  than  about  general  morals  to  the  public.  The  actual 
facts  are  that  before  noon  these  gentlemen  were  taken  to  a school  building,  which  they  carefully 
examined.  After  dinner,  at  the  Boody  House,  they  examined  two  or  three  more  buildings,  “ beat 
us  down”  a little  on  our  price  and  returned  to  Cleveland  on  a 5 p.  m.  train.  1 cannot  now,  with- 
out examination  of  papers  in  the  vault,  recall  their  names,  as  I have  not  seen  one  of  them  from 
the  hour  they  entered  a carriage  at  my  office  door  some  three  years  ago.  Nineteen  out  of  every 
twenty  statements  that  have  been  printed  in  the  paper  referred  to  during  the  past  three  years  are  as  false 
as  the  one  quoted  above. 


12 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


I was  interviewed  upon  the  subject  by  the  Toledo  Blade  and  the  following  was  true  then 
and  is  true  now  : 

“What  is  the  matter  with  the  Smead  system  in  the  Cleveland  school  building  ?”  asked  a 
Blade  reporter  of  Hon.  Isaac  D.  Smead,  whom  he  found  in  his  new  office  building  on  Huron  street- 

“ Nothing  noio.” 

“ What  has  beeu  the  trouble  there  ? ” 

“There  lias  been  no  trouble  with  the  Smead  system  of  heating,  but  in  one  building  there 
was  a serious  defect  in  the  application  of  my  system  of  dry  closets.  I suppose  you  have  been  read- 
ing the  Cleveland  Leader ,”  replied  Mr.  Smead.  with  a smile. 

Yes,  and  the  Blade  would  like  to  know  the  facts  in  the  matter.” 

“Then  1 will  have  to  tell  them,  for  you  cannot  get  them  from  the  Leader , if  I can  judge  by 
what  they  have  printed.” 

“ Have  you  done  much  work  in  Cleveland  ? ” 

“Yes,  both  for  the  Board  of  Education  and  in  other  public  buildings.  Briefly,  the  facts  are 
these  : Several  years  ago  the  Cleveland  Board  of  Education  wasted  a very  large  sum  of  money  in 
heating  apparatus,  having  a large  number  of  fine  buildings.  One  morning,  two  years  ago  last  sum- 
mer, three  gentlemen  came  into  my  office  and  were  introduced  as  a committee  from  the  Cleveland 
board  to  investigate  my  apparatus  for  school  buildings.  After  examining  into  the  matter  with 
what  seemed  to  be  more  than  ordinary  care,  they  contracted  with  me  to  furnish  apparatus  for  the 
Eagle  Street  School  building,  and  returned  home  on  the  afternoon  train.  The  apparatus  was  used 
during  the  winter  of  ’BO-’H 7 . During  the  spring  of  1887,  while  in  Washington  city,  my  attention 
was  called  to  an  attack  upon  me  and  my  apparatus,  published  in  the  Cleveland  Leader.  I went 
down  to  the  newspaper  offices,  and  by  examination  of  the  Cleveland  papers  learned  for  the  first 
time  that  at  a meeting  of  the  Cleveland  Board  of  Education  the  Building  Committee  had  been  in- 
structed to  introduce  the  Smead  system  into  all  of  the  new  buildings,  some  five  or  six  in  number. 
Our  contract  amounted  to  some  §25,000.  I was  fairly  entitled  to  the  contract,  because  of  the  suc- 
cessful and  satisfactory  operation  of  my  apparatus  in  the  Eagle  street  building,  and  also  in  the 
West  Cleveland  School  building.  Of  course  1 was  pleased  at  the  action  of  the  board,  but  I was 
also  being  injured  by  the  Leader  articles.” 

“What  did  you  do  V” 

“I  finished  by  business  in  Washington,  came  home  and  asked  the  Leader  to  send  a reporter 
to  interview  all  the  teachers  in  the  Eagle  Street  building  (nine  in  number).  This  it  did,  and  also  in- 
terviewed the  members  of  the  West  Cleveland  Board,  and  Mr.  Teachout,  chairman  of  the  building 
committee  of  Hiram  College,  who  resides  in  Cleveland.  I have  since  published  the  interviews 
among  my  testimonials.  Every  statement  made  was  contrary  to  those  which  the  Leader  has  been 
publishing.  They  printed  the  interviews  and  charged  me  50  cents  for  every  line  printed.” 

“ Did  you  pay  the  bill  ? ” 

“ Of  course  I did.  A man  is  very  foolish  to  quarrel  with  an  editor  if  it  can  be  prevented. 
The  advantage  is  all  on  his  side  ; and  the  poor  contractor  is  the  ligitimate  prey  of  the  newspaper 
man.” 

“ How  do  you  know  ? ” 

“ Twenty  years  of  experience  teaches  a fellow  some  things  he  don’t  soon  forget.” 

“As  a newspaper  man  I cannot  agree  with  you;  but  what  about  the  recent  trouble  ? ” 

“Just  this  : The  work  done  in  1887  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  every  one  except  disap- 
pointed competitors  and  their  friends  ; and  the  board  again  contracted  with  me  to  furnish  appa- 
ratus for  two  more  buildings.  One  of  these — the  High  School  building — was  erected  a good  many 
years  ago.  It  contained  a steam  heating  apparatus  and  four  large  ventilating  stacks.  In  these 
stacks  there  were  steam  coils  and  pipes  designed  to  keej)  the  stacks  hot  and  make  them  ‘draw,’  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  the  stacks  were  twenty  one  feet  lower  than  the  highest  portion  of  the 


ISAAC  D.  SMKAI)  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


13 

roof.  Although  we  were  assured  that  ‘ there  had  never  been  any  down  draughts,’  we  hesitated 
about  connecting  the  closets  with  them  : hut  my  superintendent  finally  did  so,  although  against  the 
protest  of  my  engineer.  The  system  operated  successfully  until  some  three  weeks  ago,  at  which 
time  there  was  a severe  wind  storm  in  Cleveland,  and  the  wind  struck  the  roof  in  such  a manner  as 
to  glance  off  and  go  down  the  ventilating  fine.  The  result  was  just  what  my  engineer  had  antici- 
pated. The  superintendent  of  buildings  wrote  me  ; I went  over  and  saw  the  building  for  the  first 
time.  It  was  plain  to  me  that  the  error  was  ours,  and  could  be  corrected  by  an  extension  of  the 
Hues  to  the  proper  height.  This  I did  by  an  addition  of  23  feet  to  each  chimney,  and  now  the 
harder  the  wind  blows  the  better  the  draught,  and  the  meter  records  an  exhaust  of  723,000  cubic- 
feet  per  hour,  from  the  building.  The  members  of  the  committee  are  so  well  satisfied  that  they  at 
once  recommended  that  the  other  two  stacks  (with  which  we  had  nothing  to  do)  be  extended  to  the 
same  point  at  which  I stopped  mine.  It  has  also  developed  that  the  position  taken  by  Prof.  Camp- 
bell, principal  of  the  school,  is  correct,  viz.  : that  until  now  the  building  has  never  been  ventilated 
at  all  ; and  he  strongly  urged  the  extension  of  the  other  two  fines.  With  water  closets  the  poison- 
ous sewer  gas  escapes  constantly  to  a greater  or  less  degree,  and  although  very  poisonous,  has  but 
little  odor;  while  with  my  system  there  can  be  no  sewer  gas,  and  if  anything  is  wrong  the  odor 
gives  the  signal  at  once.” 

“What  are  you  going  to  do  about  the  articles  in  the  Cleveland  Leader  / ” 

“ Nothing.  I do  not  have  to  pay  50  cents  per  line  now,  and  I hope  the  articles  will  do  me 
as  much  good  as  did  those  of  the  Detroit  News  last  winter.  Since  the  attack  of  the  News  com- 
menced I have  had  all  the  contracts  awarded  there— eleven  large  buildings.” 

“ Do  you  often  have  trouble  with  your  work  ?” 

“ 1 do  the  most  work  in  my  line  of  any  man  in  America.  I never  have  trouble  with  either 
my  customers  or  my  apparatus,  except  occasionally  because  of  mechanical  errors , as  my  workmen 
are  not  all  perfect.  Hut  I always  have  trouble  with  my  competitors,  and  in  la>ge  cities  it  is  worse 
than  anywhere  else.  The  worst  fight  I ever  had  was  the  one  at  Columbus.  Then  the  Pittsburg, 
Cleveland  and  Columbus  steam  heating  men  combined  against  me  and  vve  got  into  the  courts.  The 
other  side  had  the  costs  to  pay , and  the  Columbus  board  has  introduced  my  apparatus  into  ten 
buildings  in  addition  to  the  four  I had  when  the  fight  commenced.  There  are  two  buildings  in 
Columbus,  duplicates  of  each  other.  The  steam  heating  apparatus  in  the  one  cost  over  $7,000  ; my 
apparatus  in  the  other  cost  about  $3,500.  The  former  is  cared  for  by  an  engineer  and  an  assistant, 
the  latter  by  a janitor.  In  the  steam-heated  building,  during  the  winters  of  '87  and  '88,  107  tons 
of  coal  were  used;  in  the  other  building,  (using  my  apparatus,)  83  tons  were  used.  The  high 
school  building  in  Cleveland  contains  22  ordinary -sized  school-rooms.  The  cost  of  heating  was 
$1,482.16.  The  Eagle  street  building,  with  my  apparatus,  contains  nine  rooms.  To  heat  that 
building  it  cost  $139.30.  A janitor  takes  care  of  the  apparatus  in  the  Eagle  street  building,  and  an 
engineer  takes  care  of  the  high  school  apparatus.  The  original  cost  of  this  steam  heating  apparatus 
was  five  times  as  much  as  the  apparatus  in  the  Eagle  street  building.  Scarcely  a month  passes 
that  there  has  not  been  some  expense  for  repairs  on  the  former;  while  the  Cleveland  Board  holds 
my  guarantee  for  ten  years  without  repairs  on  the  latter.  The  Leader  don't  say  anything  about 
these  differences,  but  prints  column  after  column  advertising  an  error  made  by  one  of  our 
workmen." 

I11  the  above  interview  I refer  to  an  error.  There  was  an  error,  and  a serious  one.  I here- 
with present  a view  of  a portion  of  the  roof  of  the  now  celebrated  Cleveland  High  School  building. 
The  view  I present  shows  two  of  the  four  so-called  ventilating  stacks.  Onfe  of  the  two  chimneys 
represented  (see  cut  “A,"  figure  1,)  is  one  of  the  two  used  for  one  of  the  closets.  I hope  the  reader 
will  carefully  examine  the  top  of  the  chimney  and  see  if  a poorer  arrangement  could  be  designed 
through  which  an  upward  moving  current  of  air  could  pass.  Also  bear  in  mind  that  these  stacks 
terminated  21  feet  below  the  highest  portion  of  the  roof,  (that  portion  covering  the  very  large  comb 


14 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO 


Cut  “A,”  Fig,  I. 

The  above  cut  represents  a view  of  one  side  and  portion  of  the  roof  of  the  Cleveland  High 
School  building,  and  is  shown  here  to  represent  two  of  the  four  so-called  “ventilating  stacks.”  Could 
worse  construction  be  designed  ? 


ISAAC  1).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


15 


Kigure  2. 

Sectional  view  of  Figure  1,  ventilating  (?)  Hue,  in  the  Cleveland  High  School  building.  Un 
fortunately  we  permitted  closets  to  he  attached  to  dues  of  which  the  above  is  an  exact  repre- 
sentation. With  the  wind  coming  against  the  roof  from  the  direction  indicated  by  arrow  (at  right 
of  upper  portion  of  the  cut)  the  result  was  as  indicated  by  smaller  arrows.  Steam  fitters  and 
plumbers  had  assured  the  Board  that  the  hot  smoke  pipe  would  “create  a draft.” 


Figure  3. 

Enlarged  view  of  Figure  2,  showing  top  of  “ventilating  stack”  of  the  Cleveland  High  School 
building.  Could  a plan  he  devised  that  would  more  effectually  prevent  successful  operation  of  a 
ventilating  flue  ? 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


Perspective  view 
tion  by  Isaac  I).  Smead. 
add  2-'t  feet  to  each  Hue. 


Figure  4. 

of  ventilating  Hues  of  the  Cleveland  High  School  building  after  re-construc- 
To  get  these  Hues  as  high  as  other  portions  of  the  roof  it  was  necessary  to 
See  page  10.. 


\ 

\ 


Figure  5. 

Sectional  view  of  Figure  4,  showing  ventilating  Hue,  system  of  closets  and  a portion  of  the 
Cleveland  High  School  building  after  re-construction  by  Isaac  D.  Smead.  From  the  hour  this  work 
was  completed  there  has  never  been  a down  draft  and  there  never  will  be.  16,800,000  cubic  feet  of 
air  passes  through  each  flue  per  day. 


ISAAC  1).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


lit 

in  the  center  of  the  building,)  and  were  also  several  feet  below  the  main  portion  of  the  roof. 

There  never  was  a day  from  the  completion  of  the  building  to  this  time,  that,  with  the  wind 
in  certain  directions,  it  did  not  blow  down  some  one  of  the  four  stacks.  The  closets  worked  all 
right  until  that  time  came;  then  there  was  trouble. 

These  flues  were  connected  with  the  school  rooms  for  the  purpose  of  drawing  air  from  them, 
(which  they  never  did,  as  the  rooms  had  little  or  no  air  for  supply,)  and  of  course  there  was  trouble. 
As  soon  as  I saw  the  stacks,  I knew  the  cause  and  at  once  employed  the  necessary  labor  with 
which  (at  a cost  of  several  hundred  dollars)  I raisied  the  two  chimneys  connected  with  the  closets 
23  ft.,  and,  from  that  day  to  this,  there  has  never  been  a down  draft. 

1 represent  the  extension  in  Fig.  5.  On  the  inside  of  this  stack  is  a large  iron  smoke  pipe, 
carrying  smoke  from  steam  boilers.  This  pipe  appears  at  the  top  of  the  stack,  (see  Fig,  1,)  and 
also  near  the  top  of  the  stack  in  Fig.  5.  As  evidence  that  it  was  not  the  intention  of  the  architect 
to  stoj>  the  stacks  where  they  were  stopped,  I would  mention  that  in  the  attic  of  the  building  I 
found  the  iron  pipe  in  sufficient  quantity  to  carry  the  smoke  due  to  the  height  it  was  originally  in- 
tended. It  would  therefore  seem  that  some  one  decided  that  the  ventilating  stacks  were  “high 
enough  ” long  before  they  were  originally  completed. 

As  the  Hues  as  arranged  never  did  draw  any  air  from  the  school  rooms  I disconnected  them 
from  the  rooms  and  the  air  passed  through  the  closets  from  basement  of  building.  Over  700,000 
cubic  feet  per  hour  was  drawn  from  the  basement  through  the  closet  vaults  : and  the  air  to  basement  was 
drawn  from  rooms  above  and  with  such  force  that  there  has  always  been  a very  strong  current  of  air 
noticable  doivn  the  stairs  leading  from  corridors  to  basement ; and  as  Supt.  Campbell  said  to  me. 
“We  now  have  the  best  system  of  ventilation  that  we  have  ever  had.” 

The  result  was  so  positive  that  school  was  resumed  at  once  (it  was  dismissed  only  four  days) 
and  from  that  time  to  this  over  th if  ty  three  million , six  hundred  thousand  cubic  feet  of  air  (as  demon- 
strated by  air  meter)  have  daily  passed  through  the  closet  vaults  and  out  at  the  top  of  those  ventilating  stacks, 
the  tops  of  which  are  07>er  100  feet  above  the  ground.  The  following  from  the  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer 
gives  the  opinion  of  Health  Officer  Ashman  upon  the  subject. 

“The  Leader  in  its  issue  of  Suturday  printed  under  the  headline  “ Death  in  the  Air”  an  ab- 
surd article  aimed  directly  against  the  Sinead  system  with  the  intent  to  create  a sensation,  and 
indirectly  against  the  Board  of  Education.  Without  the  slightest  ground  it  declared  that  there  are  many 
cases  of  typhoid  and  malarial  fever  near  the  Central  High  School,  that  the  students  are  prostrated 
and  that  the  people  in  the  neighborhood  look  in  vain  for  relief.  These  are  lies  pure  and  simple. 

“Since  January  1 not  one  case  of  typhoid  fever  has  been  reported  within  the  district  bounded 
on  the  east  by  Giddings  avenue,  west  by  Sterling,  north  by  Euclid  and  west  by  Scovill.  This  is  lee 
way  sufficient. 

“ ‘I  teel  it  my  duty  to  contradict  that  article,’  said  Heath  Officer  Ashnnm  yesterday.  ‘ Peo- 
ple out  of  town  reading  it  would  gain  an  impression  that  there  is  a regular  epidemic  in  that  locality, 
that  children  are  dying  by  scores  and  that  the  air  is  laden  by  pestilential  vapors  while  in  fact 
that  district  is  the  healthiest  m the  city  I have  yet  to  hear  the  first  word  of  complaint  from  scholar  or  teacher  or 
resident  in  that  locality.  The  system  is  working  nicely,  everything  is  sweet  and  clean  any  one  the  hast  ac- 
quainted with  the  chemical  changes  which  take  place  would  knerw  that  no  germs  of  disease  are  given  off.  Not  a 
case  of  typhoid  fever  has  been  reported  from  that  district.  If  a man  is  in  the  wrong  he  should  be 
punished  but  it  is  dangerous  business  to  throw  abroad  the  assertion  that  the  health  of  the  city  is  en- 
dangered and  it  should  not  be  tolerated.  Slrrnge  what  little  things  influence  a paper  sometimes.’ 

“With  shocking  audacity  the  Leader  says;  ‘Never  perhaps  in  that  part  of  the  city  has  there 
been  so  much  sickness  as  at  the  present,  and  often  the  visits  of  the  doctors  are  ended  bv  sad  emblems 
of  crape  on  the  door.  A number  of  people  living  near  the  High  School  building  are  at  present  suf- 
fering with  malarial  and  typhoid  fever.’  And  all  because  the  pap  bag  is  not  as  open  as  it  should  be 
and  the  chances  for  its  opening  are  sealv.” 


20 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


After  some  two  months  trial  that  board  paid  us  the  amount  due  and  the  superintendent  of 
buildings  recommended  that  the  other  two  stacks  (with  which  we  never  had  anything  to  do)  be  ex- 
tended, as  I had  demonstrated  the  a*  utter  uselessness  as  originally  erected.  This  was  never  done. 

The  Leader  had  quieted  down  and  all  seemed  tranquil  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie  until  some 
six  weeks  ago,  (about  election  time  ! ! !)  when  the  board  voted  to  erect  another  building,  duplicating 
one  erected  two  years  ago,  and  containing  our  complete  system.  Contract  to  furnish  apparatus  was 
awarded  us,  and  then  the  Leader  again  commenced  to  hcnv . They  could  not  say  there  were  “down 
drafts”  as  before,  (a  condition  we  never  denied)  and  so  it  began  to  lie  about  other  matters,  making 
claims  as  referred  to  in  the  quotation  from  Plain  Dealer , and  many,  very  many  more,  similar  false 
charges. 

Naturally  the  people  living  in  that  ward  became  uneasy  and  frightened.  It  is  never  difficult 
to  create  a panic,  but  hard  to  stop  one.  We  have  been  severely  blamed  by  our  friends  and  cus- 
tomers because  we  did  not  sue  the  Leader  for  its  many  libelous  articles  ; but  until  it  had  almost 
caused  a senseless  panic  we  did  not  fully  realize  the  damage  it  had  done,  and  it  was  then  too  late  to 
satisfy  those  who,  not  knowing  the  actual  facts  in  the  case,  would  onlv  be  satisfied  by  the  removal 
of  the  closets  : and  as  that,  and  that  only  has  been  the  object  of  the  attacks  (made  by  those  whose 
only  interest  is  to  continue  the  old  system  of  sewer  pipes,  filled  with  poisonous  gases,  and  of  catch 
basins  discharging  these  gasses  into  the  street  and  a hundred  other  dangers  that  cannot  attach  to  the 
dry  closet  system)  it  must,  for  the  time,  hear  the  burden  of  the  result  ; but  if  I can  judge  its  future 
bv  the  scores  ami  scores  of  communications  I am  receiving  from  all  over  the  country  (of  which  the 
following  is  a specimen)  I am  not  very  much  alarmed  because  I have  incurred  tin*  displeasure  of  a 
few  newspaper  writers,  who  for  cash  would  write  on  the  other  side ; and  while  I have  no  desire  to  en- 
ter into  personal  controversy,  1 should  not  hesitate  to  do  so  with  one  who  has  been  quite  prominent 
in  the  attacks  upon  me  and  mv  work.  I don’t  know  that  I have  ever  courted  a fight  of  any  kind 
nor  do  I remember  of  having  tun  when  engaged  in  one. 

I would  much  rather  be  an  inventor  and  manufacturer  who  has  made  some  mechanical  er- 
rors, and  who  cannot  always  secure  absolutely  perfect  workmen,  than  to  be  looked  upon  by  my  neighbors 
a nd  fellow  citizens  as  one  who  possesses  no  qualiffcations  which  entitle  him  to  come  within  a circle  that  gentlemen 
are  permitted  to  enter ; one  whose  personal  habits  and  daily  life  are  such  as  to  subject  him  to  the  con- 
tempt of  all  honest  and  fair  minded  men. 

ISAAC  I).  SMEAD. 


THE  DISPOSAL  OF  SEWAGE. 

The  Annai.s  ok  IIygiknk.tiik  Official  Oroax  of  the  State;  Board  of  Health  of  Pennsylvania. 
Joseph  F.  Edwards,  M.  D.,  224  South  Sixteenth  St.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


The  publication,  in  our  last  issue,  wherein  we  described  a new  method  for  the  disposal  of 
sewage,  based  upon  the  ptinctples  of  nature , has  called  forth  considerable  comment.  Among  other 
eommunicatisns,  we  have  rebeived  one  from  a physician  in  Canton,  Ohio,  who,  it  seems,  was  already 
familiar  with  the  method  described,  and  who  writes  because  of  a new  spaper,  publication  condemning 
the  system,  which  he  desires  to  have  verified  or  disproven.  The  newspaper  publication  referred  to 
claims  that  the  gases  of  decomposition  that  are  given  off  from  the  vent  stack  descend  into  and  poi- 
son the  surrounding  atmosphere,  and  that,  as  a consequence,  the  prevalence  of  typhoid  and  typhus 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


2 1 


fevers  and  malarial  diseases,  has  greatly  increased  in  localities  where  this  system  has  been  intro- 
duced. Our  correspondent  asks  : — 

“May  dangers  be  apprehended  from  atmospheric  influences  ?”  * * * 

“ This  system  has  many  good  features — if  it  has  a lame  place  this  is  the  spot.” 

Before  deciding  to  describe  this  system  in  our  pages,  we  made  a most  critical  examination  of 
its  working  qualities,  and  then  set  to  work  to  try  to  And  fault  therewith.  This  question  of  the  con- 
tamination of  the  atmosphere  suggested  itself  to  us  and  received  due  consideration.  We  felt  that 
the  amount  of  foul  gas  discharged  is  so  infinitesimally  small  when  compared  with  the  great  bulk  of 
the  atmosphere  into  which  it  is  discharged,  that  it  would  be  absolutely  inert,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
purification  that  would  at  once  take  place.  We  felt  that  the  idea  that  any  ill  results  could  possibly 
accrue  from  these  gases  so  thoroughly  diluted,  would  be  akin  to  claiming  that  a teaspoonful  of  water 
taken  from  a hogshead  of  water , into  which  one  drop  of  alcohol  had  been  placed , would  produce  profound  intoxi- 
cation. 

This  was  our  own  view  ; but  feeling  that  we  might  be  in  error,  we  wrote  to  several  physi- 
cians in  different  localities,  where  we  knew  this  system  to  be  in  use,  to  ask  whether  an  increase  in 
prevalence  of  the  diseases  already  named  had  followed  its  introduction.  In  no  instance  does  the 
experience  of  scientific  men  give  a shadow  of  support  to  this  unfounded  newspaper  representation. 
One  prominent  physician  writes  so  strongly  that  we  give  some  extracts  from  his  letter.  He  says  : — 

“ Your  letter  of  inquiry  at  hand.  It  is  with  some  degree  of  pleasure  I write  you  hastily 
about  my  experience  with  this  system,  because  I have  noticed  some  villainous  attacks  on  the  system. 
I was  health  officer  of  this  city  at  the  time  these  closets  were  introduced  and  in  five  years  I did  not 
hear  a single  complaint  from  people  who  lived  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  school  buildings,  either  on 
account  of  odor  or  sickness.  During  this  period  the  closets  were  introduced  into  all  of  our  school 
buildings.  Now  we  have  over  twenty  buildings  supplied  with  these  closets.  As  a matter  of  record 
our  city  is  exceptionally  free  from  Typhoid,  Typhus  and  Malarial  Fevers,  and  I do  not  now  recall 
any  cases  occurring  in  proximity  to  one  of  our  school  buildings.  These  closets  have  replaced  all 
others  in  our  school  buildings,  and  I have  examined  them  repeatedly  and  never  found  one  that  al- 
lowed the  faintest  odor  to  get  out  into  the  building.  And  right  here,  let  me  say  that  this  is  the 
only  sytem  I know  of  where  inside  closets  have  this  record. 

To  consider  the  matter  scientifically,  if  there  are  Typhoid,  or  other  disease  germs  in  the  ex- 
crement, would  you  not  prefer  to  deliver  them  well  dried,  high  up  in  the  air , heated  by  hot  air  and 
smoke,  rather  than  deposit  them  in  any  moist  sewer  which  is  connected  with  our  school  buildings. 

That  diseases  are  scattered  by  this  system  is  abundantly  disproved  by  acquaintance  with  the  places  where 
they  were  extensively  introduced,  as  per  example:  Toledo  ; whose  mortuary  statistics  are  correct,  and  which  shows 
that  ours  is  one  of  the  very  healthiest  cities  in  the  country. 

That  this  theory  is  mere  moonshine , I know  from  personal  observation.  I have  no  interest  in  this 
matter  outside  of  the  interest  in  humanity,  and  I write  you  thus  strongly  because  I have  seen  base 
attacks  in  papers  which  have  no  foundation  in  truth. 

As  I have  no  definite  knowledge  on  this  subject  from  my  own  investigations,  I cheerfully, for 
the  good  of  the  cause,  write  you.” 

We,  ourselves,  can  say,  with  the  author  of  this  letter,  that  11  we  have  no  interest  in  this  matter 
outside  of  the  interest  in  humanity','  and  we  have  carefully  refrained  from  mentioning  the  proprietors  of 
this  system.  Onr  attention  was  called  to  it  ; when  the  theory  was  explained  to  us  we  felt  that 
it  was  a correct  one,  and  when  we  looked  into  the  matter,  we  found  that  the  merits  of  the  theory 
were  sustained  by  the  practical  working  of  the  system.  This  is  all  ; it  is,  we  believe , a great  step  in 
sanitary  progress  and  we  are  anxious  to  give  it  all  possible  publicity. 


22 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


THE  DRY  CLOSET  AND  CREMATION  SYSTEM. 

From  Toledo  Medical  and  Surgical  Reporter  For  June,  by  Thomas  Hubbard,  M.  D. , 
Read  before  the  Toledo  Medical  Association,  May  10,  1889. 


The  reader  of  the  sanitary  journals  of  the  day  cannot  but  be  impressed  with  the  fact  that  the 
problem  of  the  disposal  of  sewage  matter  is  yet  far  from  a satisfactory  solution.  Comparatively 
speaking,  the  sewer  has  been  a great  boon  to  the  inhabitants  of  large  cities  because  it  has 
taken  the  place  of  the  old  and  dangerous  methods  of  disposal  of  city  excrement ; but  to-day  we  stand 
annoyed  and  afflicted  by  this  institution  of  the  age  of  city  building,  the  intake  in  our  homes  aiding 
directly  and  indirectly  in  the  destruction  caused  by  zymotic  diseases  through  the  specific  or  general 
effect  of  its  omnipresent  gases  ; and  the  outlet  endangering  our  water  supply,  the  fearful  epidemics 
traceable  to  this  source  having  become  a matter  of  history. 

But  there  comes  to  us  a ray  of  light  in  this  time  of  perplexity.  Let  us  look  closer.  Does  it 
come  from  the  laboratory  of  the  sanitary  scientist,  or  from  the  work-shop?  Shall  science  add  to  her 
long  list  of  accomplishments  in  behalf  of  the  welfare  of  mankind  one  more  triumph,  or  shall  the 
credit  be  given  to  that  less  pretentious  class  who  have  solved  many  a great  problem  by  indomitable 
physical  energy  fired  by  a conviction  that  the  accomplishment  is  within  the  bounds  of  possibility  ; 
each  experiment,  crude  at  first,  and  often  a disastrous  failure,  only  serving  to  stimulate  to  another 
effort  until  we  can  trace  the  rough  and  broken  path  of  progress,  now  turning  back  on  itself,  now 
upward,  until  it  reaches  the  lofty  goal  where  it  shines  forth,  enlightens  the  world  and  benefits 
mankind. 

A mere  spark  of  a suggestion,  dim  and  unattractive,  given  to  the  world  by  a Canadian  gen- 
tlemen of  great  acumen  and  intelligence,  was  fanned  into  a blaze  in  the  workshop  of  a mechanical 
engineer.  “A  new  sun  has  risen  in  the  sanitary  heavens!  ” 

As  citizens  of  Toledo  we  should  take  a special  pride  in  the  fact  that  the  dry  closet  system  was 
first  successfully  introduced  into  our  own  school  buildings,  and  in  claiming  its  inventor  as  a fellow 
citizen.  As  a profession  we  should  congratulate  ourselves  in  that  we  have  been  among  the  first  to 
appreciate  the  merits  of  the  system  and  encourage  its  introduction.  The  inventor  himself  says  in 
his  book  that  he  regards  the  medical  profession  as  the  most  unselfish  of  men,  laboring  unceasingly 
to  lessen  sickness  and  disease  directly  against  their  own  business  interests. 

But  what  are  the  essential  principles  of  the  dry  closet  and  cremation  system  as  invented  and 
introduced  by  Mr.  Isaac  D.  Sinead?  Briefly  stated  they  are  as  follows.  By  a system  of  ventilation 
based  entirely  on  natural  forces  there  is  supplied  to  each  occupant,  of  a school  room  for  example, 
between  1,500  and  2,000  cubic  feet  of  warmed  fresh  air  per  hour.  Each  cubic  foot  of  this  air  is 
capable  of  evaporating  about  one  grain  of  moisture.,  assuming  that  it  leaves  the  room  at  a tempera- 
ture of  about  65  degrees  and  81  per  cent.  rel.  humid,  (which  is  a fair  average  of  many  experiments). 
This  volume  of  air  per  capita  is  then  capable  of  evaporating  many  times  the  amount  of  total  watery 
excreta  of  each  individual. 

But  the  question  arises  in  the  minds  of  all — how  obtain  a perfect  exposure  of  the  excreta  to 
the  out-going  current  of  air?  This  is  accomplished  in  the  so-called  “ dry-closet.”  Let  us  begin 
with  the  ventilation  system,  omitting  unnecessary  details.  A very  large  volume  of  air  is  warmed 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


‘23 

about  t lie  great  furnace  placed  in  the  basement  and  surrounded  by  a non-conducting  brick  wall. 
Fresh  outside  air  has  free  access  to  these  furnaces.  This  is  conveyed  by  ample  air  conduits  to  the 
rooms  above  that  are  to  be  warmed.  The  outlets  to  these  rooms  arc  placed  in  the  base-board  and 
the  air  leaving  the  room  circulates  freely  under  the  floor,  thus  producing  an  equable  temperature  at 
floor  and  ceiling,  and  thence  downward  into  the  basement  to  the  so-called  “foul  air  gathering 
room.”  This  opens  into  the  closet  vault. 

Now  a word  as  to  the  construction  of  the  closet  vault.  It  is  merely  a long  iron  and  brick 
air-conduit,  the  faecal  deposits  being  received  on  a raised  brick  platform.  The  average  section  area 
of  these  vaults  is  3 feet  by  3£  feet,  and  they  are  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  long,  depending  upon  the 
number  of  seats  necessary  to  be  accommodated.  This  long  vault  is  in  free  communication  at  the  end 
opposite  the  “foul  airgathering  room”  with  a great  ventilating  stack  that  extends  from  basement  to 
a point  above  the  highest  peak  of  the  roof,  and  is  built  solid,  having  no  inlet  except  the  one  from 
the  closet  vault. 

Let  us  now  follow  the  course  of  the  air  from  intake  to  outlet.  The  fire  in  the  furnace  is 
started  and  the  air  circulating  freely  about  its  extensive  superficial  area  is  warmed  by  direct  radia- 
ation.  It  is  rarefied  and  its  specific  gravity  raised  until  it  is  displaced  upward  by  the  cooler  and 
heavier  air  entering  freely  at  the  large  intake  windows.  This  process  continues  uninterruptedly,  the 
cold  heavy  air  exerting  a constant  upward  displacement  on  the  column  of  warmed  air  which  is  thus 
forced  up  the  ample  air  conduits  into  the  rooms  above.  Here  this  warmed  air  circulates  freely,  dis- 
sipating a certain  amount  of  its  heat  until  it  is  finally  forced  ont  at  the  outlets  in  the  base-board  and 
finds  its  way  under  the  floor  of  the  room  to  the  “ foul  air  gathering  room,”  and  thence  to  the  stack 
in  a continuous  current. 

The  force  for  upward  displacement  continues  as  long  as  the  air  about  the  furnaces  is  warmed, 
and  its  effect  is  a force  for  onward  and  upward  movement  to  the  air  in  the  school  room,  in  the  foul 
air  gathering  room,  in  the  vault,  and  in  the  great  ventilating  shaft,  alike,  indirect  though  it  maybe. 
Thus  is  an  immense  volume  of  air,  flowing  at  the  rate  of  four  to  six  miles  an  hour  through  the  closet 
vaults,  brought  in  contact  with  the  deposits  of  fsecal  matter. 

The  rapid  drying  prevents  putrefaction,  and  the  mass  is  not  even  disintegrated,  retaining  the 
original  form.  The  contents  of  such  a vault  are  aptly  compared  to  the  “buffalo  chips  ” of  the  plains. 
As  I have  said  before,  the  vaults  are  constructed  fire-proof,  and,  since  the  deposits  are  mixed  •with 
paper,  what  more  simple  than  to  set  fire  to  the  contents  of  the  vault  nearest  the  “foul  air  gathering 
chamber,”  and  soon  the  whole  mass  is  reduced  to  ashes.  This  has  become  a practice  in  all  buildings 
containing  the  system. 

Let  me  call  attention  to  the  important  results.  Natural  forces  only  are  involved  and  hence 
cheapness  of  operation  is  secured.  The  two  most  essential  features  of  a wholesome  school  house 
are  secured,  namely,  pure  air  and  an  odorless  closet.  The  ultimate  disposal  of  the  faecal  matter  is 
all  that  can  be  desired  by  the  most  skeptical  sanitarian,  the  most  visionary  bacteriologist,  or  the 
most  economical  member  of  the  Board  of  Education. 

A review  of  a few  of  the  more  important  objections  that  have  been  raised  against  the  dry 
closet  and  cremation  system  may  serve  to  bring  up  points  for  discussion.  It  is  asserted  that  there  is  a 
liability  of  back  drafts  forcing  the  air  from  the  closet  vaults  back  into  the  rooms.  To  insure  an 
upward  current  in  the  ventilating  shaft  under  all  circumstances  a small  furnace  is  placed  in  the  base 
of  the  main  shaft  and  a constant  lire  is  kept  up  when  the  large  furnaces  are  not  heating.  The  force 
for  displacing  upward,  i.  e. , the  column  of  heavier  air,  is  now  transferred  from  that  pressing  in  at 
the  intake  of  cold  air  to  the  column  represented  by  the  air  in  the  “foul  air  gathering  room”  and 
the  rooms  above  it,  since  this  column  is  made  relatively  heavier  by  the  heating  and  rarefaction  of 
the  air  in  the  main  air  shaft,  and  a constant  current  upward  is  maintained  and  a proportionate 
inflow  at  fresh  air  intake  is  insured. 

But  let  us  consider  in  detail  the  accusation  that  the  foul  air  passing  out  at  the  mouth  of  the 


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ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


main  air  shaft  is  capable  of  spreading  the  germs  of  disease.  In  the  first  place,  consider  that  there 
is  no  putrefaction  in  the  closet  vaults.  The  deposits  are  dried  out  very  rapidly,  hence  the  gases 
given  off  are  not  to  be  compared  with  those  escaping  from  a sewer  in  any  sense.  Such  decomposition 
as  does  take  place  is  a purely  natural  one,  merely  a continuation  of  the  process  begun  in  the  intestines 
and  while  there  is  considerable  odor  at  the  outlet  of  the  shaft,  yet  when  we  consider  the  great  ex- 
posure to  diluting  volumes  of  air,  the  disseminating  power  of  the  winds,  the  purification  of  the  air 
by  oxygen  and  sunlight,  it  does  seem  indeed  a visionary  evil.  The  dilution  of  the  gases  is  under 
the  most  simple  calculation  in  direct  proportion  to  the  square  of  the  distance  from  the  month  of  the 
stack.  Under  this  law  10  parts  of  carbonic  acid  to  1,000  parts,  for  example,  at  a distance  of  100 
feet  from  the  shaft  outlet  would  become  diluted  to  10  parts  to  40,000,000  of  air. 

But  certain  alarmists  assert  that  typhoid  fever  is  disseminated  over  the  district.  The  drying 
process  most  certainly  destroys  the  bacillus  typhosus  although  the  spores  may  survive.  The  faecal 
matter  as  it  escapes  from  the  bowel  is  mixed  with  mucus  and  albumenoid  matter  in  such  quantity 
that  a thin  pellicle  forms  around  the  mass  during  the  drying,  and  it  seems  impossible  that  any  germs 
can  escape.  Again,  does  it  occur  to  you  how  rarely  a child  sick  from  typhoid  fever  would  be  pres- 
ent at  school? 

As  regards  ordinary  zymotic  diseases,  surely  the  perfect  ventilation  secured  will  lessen  the 
danger  of  spreading  among  the  children  of  the  school,  both  by  the  direct  dilution  of  all  emanations 
and  indirectly  by  sustaining  the  natural  vitality  and  resisting  power  of  the  child. 

We  can  bring  to  bear  some  testimony  from  the  extensive  experience  of  many  of  the  great 
irrigation  and  more  particularly  the  intermittent  filtration  farms  of  England.  Prof.  E.  Frankland 
read,  before  the  International  Congress  of  Hygiene  at  Vienna  in  1887,  a report  on  the  “Purification 
of  Sewage  and  the  Utilization  of  Human  Excrement  with  Special  Reference  to  the  Prevention  of 
River  Polution.”  In  both  surface  irrigation  and  intermittent  filtration  the  deposit  from  the  sewage 
matter  becomes  ultimately  a part  of  the  surface  soil  and  is  consequently  often  blown  about  as  dust 
and  the  farm  hands  are  constantly  working  in  it.  Accurate  statistics  from  the  nine  prize  sewage 
farms,  including  the  one  that  receives  the  sewage  from  the  city  of  Birmingham,  show  that  there  has 
never  been  a case  of  typhoid  fever  or  zymotic  disease  traceable  to  this  source.  This  is  evidence  as 
conclusive  as  may  be  that  disease  germs  cannot  resist  the  purifying  power  of  desiccation  in  the 
presence  of  oxygen  and  the  sun’s  rays. 

How  visionary  then  is  the  charge  that  typhoid  fever  can  be  disseminated  by  the  gases  from 
the  mouth  of  the  foul  air  shaft,  when  the  diluting,  dissipating  and  purifying  influences  of  the  sun 
and  a limitless  supply  of  oxygen  are  brought  into  play. 

iso  unprejudiced  person,  professional  or  layman,  can  inspect  the  dry  closet  system  as  in 
operation  in  our  school  houses  here,  and  not  be  impressed  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  influential  of 
the  sanitary  improvements  of  the  age.  Its  range  of  usefulness  is  almost  limitless  ; the  comfort  it 
insures  from  being  located  in  the  warm  basement  of  school  houses  ; the  constant  renewal  of  the  air 
in  the  basement  ; the  simplicity  of  construction,  and  lastly  the  ultimate  cremation  of  the  vault  con- 
tents recommend  it  to  every  person  “ interested  in  the  welfare  of  humanity.” 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


o 


5 


DISCUSSION  ON  ESSAY. 


The  Dry  Closet  and  Cremation  System.  ” Read  by  Dr.  Tiios.  Hubbard,  before  tiie  To- 
ledo Medical  Society,  May  IOtii,  1889. 


Dr.  Chas.  J.  VaiiPelt  opened  the  discussion  on  the  paper.  The  first  introduction  of  the  sys- 
tem into  the  city  schools  was  during  his  service  as  health  officer,  and  he  was  called  on  to  make  re- 
peated inspections  of  the  Dry  Closets.  He  approved  of  the  principle  from  the  beginning  and  was 
pleased  to  note  the  many  improvements  that  have  been  added.  He  has  watched  the  growth  and  per- 
fection of  the  details.  The  introduction  of  the  stack  heater  insures  safety  and  freedom  from  back 
draughts.  The  idea  of  cremating  the  vault  contents  came  about  as  the  result  of  the  use  of  the  stack 
heater  and  the  perfect  desiccation  by  the  continuous  currents  thus  established.  lie  has  frequently 
seen  the  contents  of  a vault  reduced  to  ashes  in  a very  short  space  of  time.  He  further  said  that  it 
is  the  only  system  of  inside  closets  that  gives  out  no  odors.  Gases  will  rise  in  spite  of  the  most 
perfect  water  appliances  and  plumbing,  lie  has  examined  closets  having  an  expensive  mechanical 
exhaust  system  and  found  considerable  odor.  No  practical  medical  man  would  entertain  the  vision- 
ary objections  urged  against  the  system  by  the  disease  germ  theorists.  If  there  be  any  truth  in  the 
theory  at  all,  sewers  are  certainly  much  more  to  be  feared  than  the  dry  closet  and  cremation  system. 
The  gas  from  a sewer  escapes  at  the  ground  level  and  we  must  constantly  inhale  it,  while  the  gases  from 
the  foul  air  shaft  are  delivered  high  up  in  the  air  and  reach  the  lower  levels  only  in  a state  of  great 
dilution,  and  are  perfectly  harmless. 

Dr.  Wm.  C.  Chapman  said:  “After  having  made  a thorough  inspection  I can  say  that  I 
consider  the  dry  closet  perfect  in  principle  and  in  its  practical  operation.  Do  not  think  that  back 
draughts  are  possible  with  a fire  burning  in  stack  heater.  Comparing  it  with  the  sewer,  consider  that 
the  germs  are  not  destroyed  in  the  sewer  at  all,  but  simply  increase  and  ultimately  find  their  way 
into  the  drinking  water,  while  in  this  system  they  are  rendered  inert  and  destroyed  by  dilution  in 
pure  air  and  the  purifying  effect  of  the  sun’s  rays.  Toledo  has  a great  many  buildings  containing 
the  system  and  we  have  a minimum  amount  of  typhoid  fever — less  than  in  any  other  large  city — 
which  is  the  kind  of  evidence  that  counts  in  a discussion  of  this  nature.” 

Dr.  Joseph  T.  Woods  said  : “The  explanation  of  the  mechanical  features  of  the  system  were 
very  interesting  to  him  and  are  based  on  sound  principles.  lie  regards  the  warming  of  the  floors  by 
the  outgoing  current  as  a most  important  feature.  The  old  methods  of  heating  warm  the  head  first 
and  the  evils  following  the  state  expressed  as  ‘ hot  head  and  cold  feet’  result.  From  personal  in- 
spection ‘I  can  assert  that  I consider  the  dry  closet  as  near  perfect  as  we  can  conceive.’” 

Dr.  S.  S.  Thorn:  “We  are  all  agreed  that  the  heating  and  ventilating  as  introduced  into  our 
schools  is  the  best.  I have  no  fault  to  find  with  it.  Now  I am  a believer  in  the  germ  theory  of 
disease  to  a certain  degree,  but  fail  to  appreciate  the  arguments  of  many  who  are  opposing  this  dry 
closet  system  from  this  standpoint.  Jfoisture  is  most  favorable  to  growth  of  sag  typhoid  germs, 
and  I believe  that  dryness  is  fatal.  I think  that  persistent  desiccation  is  a most  potent  germ- de- 
stroyer. Practically  I am  convinced,  from  a great  many  years  of  observation,  that  typhoid  fever  is 
not  propagated  in  this  city,  although,  as  has  been  said,  we  have  a great  many  dry  closets  in  use  here. 


26 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


I repeat  that  I consider  it  as  infinitely  more  potent  as  a germ  destroyer  and  think  that  the  objections 
raised  against  it  are  not  well  founded.” 

Dr.  James  F.  Aris  said  : “That  as  far  as  typhoid  fever  is  concerned  the  statistics  show  that 
Toledo  has  been  free  from  the  disease  for  many  years,  and  hence  this  part  of  the  evidence  becomes 
negative  in  character.  Absence  of  the  disease  goes  to  prove  that  it  does  not  propagate  the  disease, 
but  does  not  prove  that  it  is  a disease  germ  destroyer.” 

Dr.  Geo.  A.  Collamore  (Health  Officer)  said  : 4>  I have  had  occasion  to  examine  the  High 

School,  and  old  building  into  which  the  Srnead  system  has  been  adopted.  I am  impressed  with  the 
fact  that  the  details  are  of  great  importance  and  in  all  cases  careful  and  watchful  attention  must  be 
given — avoiding  errors  in  construction  and  careless  operation.  I am  convinced  that  where  the  con- 
struction is  perfect  in  its  details  the  system  works  perfectly.  I see  only  one  possible  danger,  and 
that  is  from  back  draughts.  I say  possible,  but  I know  of  no  instance  where  this  has  been  charged 
against  it  in  this  city.  Compare  the  ultimate  process,  cremation,  with  the  ultimate  disposal  of  sewer 
contents  ; in  the  one  harmless  gases,  in  the  other  our  streams  are  polluted  and  often  our  water  supply 
is  infected.  1 examined  the  closets  as  adapted  to  an  old  large  school  building,  and  appreciated  that 
it  was  a difficult  undertaking  on  the  part  of  the  engineer.  I could  detect  no  odors  at  all,  and  made 
close  inquiry  of  the  school  girls  who  were  eating  their  lunches  in  the  basement  room  adjoining.  If 
there  be  any  time  that  one  would  be  apt  to  detect  an  odor  it  would  be  under  such  circumstances,  and 
the  simple  fact  that  they  did  go  to  that  room  to  eat  is  evidence  conclusive  that  the  closets  were  odor- 
less. The  superintendent  told  me  that  he  had  heard  no  complaints  and  that  school  attendance  was 
quite  up  to  the  average.  That  disease  can  be  disseminated  from  the  mouth  of  the  foul  air  shaft  I 
regard  as  too  absurd  for  discussion.  Typhoid  fever  germs  must  reach  the  victim  by  the  stomach  and 
intestines.  Nurses  in  fever  hospitals  breathe  the  same  air  as  the  patient  with  perfect  impunity  and 
rarely  contract  the  disease.  Diphtheria  is  a disease  that  seems  to  demand  a moist  medium  of  con" 
tagion — moisture  is  essential  to  its  propagation.  The  ultimate  cremation  meets  the  demands  of  the 
most  skeptical  bacteriologist  and  the  most  extreme  sanitarians.” 

Dr.  John  North  asked  if  the  faecal  matter  was  allowed  to  remain  in  the  vaults  during  the 
summer.  He  referred  to  the  drying  and  escape  of  germs  from  the  shaft  outlet  as  a possible  source 
of  danger,  but  does  not  consider  it  an  objection  of  practical  value.  He  would  expect  that  a certain 
amount  of  moisture  would  be  deposited  under  the  floor  by  the  outgoing  current. 

The  discussion  was  closed  by  the  essayist  *>  ..swering  Dr.  North’s  question  about  the  condition 
of  the  vaults  in  summer.  The  cremation  is  done  at  the  close  of  the  school  year.  During  the  warm 
school  months  the  stack  heater  is  constantly  in  use.  The  humidity  is  rarely  greater  than  81  per  cent 
rel.  humid,  and  hence  the  cooling  under  the  floor  does  not  precipitate  any  moisture. 


EXHAUSTIVE  TREATMENT  BY  JOSIAH  HARTZELL 

Ox  the  Smead  System.  He  Holds  the  Canton  High  School  Safe  and  Ridicules  the 

Scare  at  Cleveland. 


Editor  Repository  : The  adoption  of  what  is  known  as  the  Smead  plan  of  heating,  ventila- 
tion and  waste  disposal  in  schools  and  public  buildings  has  been  the  theme  of  much  discussion.  Al- 
though this  has  often  been  pushed  to  the  verge  of  acrimony,  it  has  had  a most  wholesome  result,  en- 
listing public  attention  to  the  study  of  topics  of  vital  import,  in  spreading  knowledge  and,  some- 
times, revealing  a woeful  lack  of  knowledge. 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


The  heating  and  ventilating  feature  of  the  plan  seems  almost  to  leave  nothing  better  to  be 
desired.  It  has  the  capital  merit  of  great  simplicity,  only  one  apparatus  being  required  for  both 
heating  and  ventilation,  instead  of  double  devices.  External  air,  as  much  as  may  be  desired,  is 
warmed,  and  is  admitted  into  and  drawn  out  of  the  rooms  in  such  a manner  that:  first,  the  fresh  air 
and  heat  are  most  equably  diffused  through  every  part  of  the  room;  and  second,  so  that  the  extracted 
air  is  always  that  which  is  most  heavily  charged  with  the  products  of  respiration. 

All  the  air  used  in  the  building  is  drawn  into  a ventilating  shaft,  or  foul  air  Hue,  of  proper 
dimensions,  and  passes  out  at  the  top  of  the  building.  After  leaving  the  rooms  the  still  warm  air 
is  made  to  pass  under  the  floors,  an  arrangement  which  must  figure  not  inconsiderably  in  economy  of 
fuel  consumption. 

The  merit  of  this  plan  is  not  so  much  in  the  novelty  of  the  principles  involved  as  in  the  gen- 
erous and  ingenious  application  of  these  principles.  The  mechanism  of  the  plan  is  on  an  adequate 
scale.  It  is  simple  and  admirable.  The  average  results  in  a sanitary  sense,  are  such  as  might  rea- 
sonably be  expected  from  a system  of  the  very  best  order.  Such  is  ray  opinion.  Others  claim  to 
entertain  contrary  views,  but  more  particularly  in  regard  to  the  wisdom  of  employing  the  Sinead 
plan  for  disposal  of  the  waste  matters  emanating  from  such  a building. 

When  it  was  proposed  to  introduce  this  system  into  the  Canton  High  School  building  the 
novel  part  of  the  plan  did  not  commend  itself  to  me.  The  impression  of  the  writer,  at  that  time,  is 
best  expressed  by  a quotation  from  himself,  as  printed  on  page  204  in  the  Annual  report  of  the  Ohio 
State  Hoard  of  Health  for  188ft,  as  follows  : 

“ What  may  be  regarded  as  a curiosity  in  this  field  is  a recent  practice  adopted  in  certain 
school  houses.  The  privy  seats,  for  each  sex,  respectively,  are  all  in  a row  in  the  basement  of  the 
building.  Under  each  of  these  rows  of  seats  all  is  open  from  end  to  end.  The  building  is  heated 
with  hot  air  and  has  a high  ventilating  shaft.  Warm  air,  having  served  its  purpose  in  the  school 
room,  is  drawn  into  the  ventilating  shaft,  passing,  on  its  way,  through  the  space  under  the  two  rows 
of  seats.  The  excreta,  yielding  up  all  moisture  to  this  current  of  warm  air,  are  reduced  to  a dry, 
insignificant  bulk,  which  is  shoveled  iuto  the  furnace  and  burned.  This  method  has  been  introduced 
into  the  costly  new  High  School  building  recently  erected  in  Canton,  but  not  yet  tested.  Its  merits 
cannot,  therefore,  be  properly  characterized  ; though  much  is  claimed  for  it  in  the  way  of  testi- 
monials, a kind  of  evidence  which  is  very  apt  to  be  devoid  of  scientific  authority.” 

If,  in  trying  to  solve  this  problem,  only  newspaper  contentions  had  been  relied  on  for  testi- 
mony, this  state  of  mental  indecision  might  have  continued  on  till  now.  But  every  man  has  two 
eyes,  two  ears,  and  one  nose  for  his  own  use.  As  the  result  of  personal  inspection,  and  of  all  the 
direct  testimony  available,  it  now  seems  to  me  that  for  a large  school  building,  this  plan  of  waste- 
disposal  has  advantages  over  all  the  others  which  I have  any  knowledge  of. 

As  to  gases  getting  into  the  house,  the  testimony  of  the  inmates  is  decidedly  in  the  negative. 
That  is  my  experience.  .Vs  a matter  of  fact  wet  excreta  must  remain  in  a wet  state  more  that  a day, 
before  they  can  yield  up  any  gases  deleterious  to  health.  And  dry  excreta  are  as  harmless  as  the 
dust  in  the  road. 

Look  at  the  matter  a little.  The  formula  for  air  pollution  by  gases  (not  suspended  matters), 
as  near  as  one  can  be  made,  requires  the  concomitance  of  moisture,  heat  and  ammonia,  these  being 
important  iu  the  order  in  which  they  are  named.  Ammonia,  composed  of  nitrogen  and  hydrogen, 
may  be  present  everywhere.  So  of  heat.  But  the  Smead  plan  robs  the  fceces  of  the  most  important 
element  in  fermentation,  the  water. 

This  question  of  the  comparative  merits  of  the  different  systems  employed  for  the  disposal  of 
human  waste  matters  is  not  only  of  the  utmost  importance,  but  it  is  one  of  the  most  complex  that 
engineers  are  confronted  with.  It  is  rare  that  it  can  be  answered  the  same  wav  for  anv  two  towns 
or  cities.  Water-carriage  and  Smeadism  are  incompatible.  The  latter  is  not,  in  its  present  state  of 
development,  adapted  to  private  houses- — its  mechanism  seems  necessarily  to  be  too  large  and  costly. 


28 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


But  when  large  numbers  are  gathered  under  the  same  roof — in  one  plant,  so  to  speak — the  compara- 
tive cost  is  less  than  water-carriage,  while  the  service  rendered  is  equal,  if  not  superior,  both  in  safety 
and  convenience,  as  well  as  cleanliness. 

The  name  under  which  these  methods  of  heating,  ventilation  and  disposal  are  grouped  place 
the  endorsers  of  them  under  some  disadvantage.  It  is  impossible  to  defend  them  without  blowing 
the  horn  of  Mr.  Smead.  This  feature  has  been  made  very  prominent  in  the  recent  controversy  in 
Cleveland , in  addition  to  which  a great  abundance  of  reckless  balderdash  has  been  printed  in  the 
effort  to  induce  jieople  to  believe  that  the  air  current  from  the  ventilating  shaft  of  a certain  school 
house  was  spreading  disease  and  death.  Germs,  it  is  said,  are  spouted  into  the  sky,  and  then  pro- 
ceed to  settle  down  on  the  contiguous  population  in  the  shape  of  a typhoid  mildew.  These  things 
are  ridiculous,  but  not  so  ridiculous  or  surprising  as  the  ignorance,  prejudice,  or  partisanism  of  a 
school  board  in  the  city  of  Cleveland  which  is  swayed  by  such  Munchausenisms. 

The  least  that  these  functionaries  should  have  done,  and  the  proper  thing  to  have  done,  under 
the  circumstances,  would  have  beeu  to  insist  upon  a judicial  investigation.  That  is  the  way  a con- 
troversy of  this  kind  recently  terminated  in  Columbus.  The  law  court  precipitated  the  togs  raised 
up  by  the  newspaper  court,  speedily  and  effectively.  There  may  be  mechanical  defects  in  buildings, 
introduction,  dimension  or  adaptation,  as  in  the  construction  of  anything  else ; but  as  to  the  cor- 
rectness of  the  hygienic  features  involved,  there  can  be  but  one  opinion  on  the  part  of  all  who  can 
rightfully  be  regarded  as  sanitary  experts.  In  a case  of  this  importance  both  sides  should  crave 
the  backing  of  a decision  from  a disinterested  court,  and  there  let  the  side  which  cannot  sustain 
itself  go  down. 

In  these  Cleveland  press  reports  frequent  mention  is  made  of  the  name  of  Dr.  G.  P.  Ashman, 
the  Health  Officer  of  Cleveland.  The  head-lines  array  him  against  the  Smead  plan,  but  the  perusal 
of  Dr.  Ashman’s  reports  fail  to  justify  the  impression  sought  to  be  thus  made. 

To  be  sure  Dr.  A.  does  not  argue  his  case  with  the  same  virulent  positiveness  which  charac- 
terizes the  sage  atmospheric  philosophers  on  the  other  side.  But  it  is  also  well  for  candid  inquirers 
to  remember  that  “fools  rush  in,”  and  sometimes,  unadvisedly  ; that  a little  learning  is  dangerous. 
Dr.  Ashman  is  a man  of  large  acquirements,  and  a scientist  of  established  character. 

Should  he  express  the  opinion  that  air  loaded  with  moisture  from  fresh  excreta,  and  disposed 
of  as  indicated,  would  increase  disease,  the  statement  would  far  outweigh  all  the  partisan  diatribes 
of  the  press.  It  would  awaken  a wide  interest.  Such  is  the  power  of  a well-earned  reputation,  a 
thing  of  slow  but  solid  growth,  an  eminence  which  cannot  be  reached  by  threats,  or  bribes,  or 
shallow  puffs.  It  is  most  improbable  that  he  will  express  such  an  opinion,  because  it  would  not  be 
justified  by  the  record  of  scientific  knowledge  and  experiment  up  to  the  present  time.  And  yet  he 
does  not  rush  at  the  microbe-haunted  philosophers  with  uplifted  hammer  and  sledge  of  big  ad- 
jectives. 

His  position  says:  Your  claims  are  not  justified  by  sanitary  experiment;  but  prove  that 
there  is  more  zymotic  disease,  and  that  this  disease  was  caused  by  the  addition  of  air  from  the  ven- 
tilating shaft.  From  all  that  has  appeared  with  his  sanction  no  such  proof  has  been  forthcoming, 
and  for  the  best  of  reasons. 

The  person  who  undertook  to  make  this  proof  would  be  confronted  with  the  fact  that  one- 
fifth  in  bulk  of  the  air  is  free  oxygen.  Oxygen , king  of  the  elements , like  the  king  of  beasts , has  a 
most  greedy  appetite , and  its  affinities  are  boundless.  It  assails,  and  splits,  and  changes,  converting  things 
noxious  into  substances  inert,  or  wholesome.  It  is  nature’s  grand  purifier.  A proper  inves- 
tigation of  this  subject  would  involve  a long  stop  with  oxygen,  but  this  is  the  realm  of  chemistry 
proper,  and  would  suggest  a charge  of  pedantry.  The  upshot  of  it  all  would  be,  however,  that  if 
we  will  only  keep  our  interiors  supplied  with  air  equal  in  purity  to  that  which  nature  always  supplies 
in  bountiful  stock  outside  our  houses,  then  we  shall  have  nothing  to  fear  from  our  air  supply. 

But  the  air  from  the  Smead  flues  is  “charged  with  the  moisture  from  fresh  excreta.”  So  it 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


2!) 


is.  And  so  the  city  of  Manchester,  England,  and  many  other  cities,  including  most  of  Edinburgh, 
Scotland,  dispose  of  all,  or  nearly  all  of  their  wastes  by  the  tub  and  pail  system.  The  wastes  are 
kept  in  the  houses  and  they  smell  to  heaven.  But  the  disease  and  death  rate  is  low.  Why?  Be- 
cause the  municipal  functionaries  always  remove  the  vessels  before  fermentation  has  had  1 ime  to  com- 
mence, and  replace  them  with  clean  ones.  Part  of  the  gases  arising  from  putrefaction  arc  most 
deleterious,  but  are  odorless  ; the  bad-smelling  gases,  as  also  the  odors  from  fresh  excreta,  are  not 
liable  to  do  much  harm.  In  fact,  when  these  very  same  odoriferous  gases  come  up  out  of  the  earth 
in  some  Saratoga,  or  other  fancy  spring  waters,  they  are  held  to  be  ever  so  wholesome,  and  to  cure 
no  end  of  maladies. 

In  the  middle  of  Paris  there  is  an  immense  fertilizer  factory.  Into  one  side,  every  night, 
are  driven  hundreds  of  wagons  corresponding  to  our  “excavators.”  Out  of  the  other  side,  every 
day,  are  shipped  barrels  of  dry  and  powdered  fertilizer.  'The  moisture  has  all  passed  up  skyward, 
a la  Sinead.  Nor  is  this  moisture  lifted  from  fresh  wastes,  but  from  the  most  rotten,  pestiferous 
stuff  that  can  be  imagined. 

Sanitary  literature  abounds  in  praises  of  garbage  crematories,  such  as  are  in  operation  in 
Minneapolis,  Milwaukee,  Chicago,  Buffalo,  etc.  They  receive  fish,  flesh,  fowl  and  filth  in  all  states, 
and  deliver  the  ashes.  To  be  sure,  all  is  burned,  but  not  until  the  moisture  has  been  expelled — 
that  goes  into  the  air 

If  hurtful  bacterial  defilement  of  the  atmosphere  were  possible  by  any  such  means  it  would 
be  by  such  institutions  as  these.  The  evils  which  are  said  to  ascend  into  the  cerulean  ether  from 
the  Sinead  fines,  and  to  descend  upon  contiguous  humanity  in  the  shape  of  envenomed  micro-organisms 
reside  in  warped  imaginations,  and  nowhere  else.  Take  the  cesspools  of  a city.  They  cover  acres 
of  surface.  Their  foul  contents  are  left  to  ferment  and  putrify  year  after  year.  Clean  air  gets  in, 
loads  itself  with  all  that  is  most  vile  and  poisonous,  and  issues  forth  to  mix  with  the  outer  air. 
And  yet  aerial  dangers  from  cesspools  have  never  been  much  dwelt  upon.  If  these  cesspools  were 
absolutely  dry  every  morning,  and  if  they  never  contained  wet  foeces  over  twenty-four  hours  old, 
they  would  approach  the  Smead  plan  in  harmlessness.  As  it  is,  these  receptacles  of  putrefaction 
deserve  nothing  but  condemnation  ; but  most  of  their  agents  for  harm  go  down  and  not  up  ; and 
those  that  do  ascend  fly  into  an  embrace  which  quickly  extracts  their  sting  and  hands  them  over  to 
plant-life  to  assume  new  forms  that  do  not  curse,  but  bless.  If  our  sky-germ  vaticinators  would 
come  down  and  lay  hold  of  the  old  cesspool  their  crusade  would  have  some  sense  in  it,  and  would 
deserve  universal  co  operation. 

Our  own  city  has  been  no  stranger  to  this  interesting  discussion.  Free  lances  have  been 
broken  pro  and  con.  This  was  to  have  been  both  expected  and  desired.  It  has  been  a public  edu- 
cator. It  has  riveted  the  sound  maxim  that  “man’s  breath  is  his  own  greatest  enemy.”  It  has  fixed 
the  open  fire — the  foul-air  flue — irrevocably  in  its  proper  place.  But  the  wasteful  open  grate,  leav- 
ing behind  only  five  per  cent  of  its  radiated  heat,  would  never  do  in  our  great  school  houses.  The 
new  plan  supplies  every  lacking  requirement,  both  in  respect  to  health  and  comfort. 

The  new  method  of  waste  disposal  is  claimed  to  be,  as  yet,  in  the  experimental  stage.  In 
the  sense  of  not  yet  having  silenced  all  opposition  it  is  an  experiment.  Only  let  the  experi- 
ment be  fairly  and  thoroughly  made  and  impartially  decided.  Partisanism  and  microbian  charla- 
tanism should  be  brushed  aside  so  that  we  may  get  at  the  exact  truth.  It  is  pitiful  to  see  vested 
property  interests , in  and  out  of  school  houses,  and  above  all  the  welfare  of  school  children , preyed 
upon  and  buffeted  about  on  such  farcical  grounds  as  have  recently  been  published,  and  the  fact  that 
such  things  have  been  done  in  Cleveland  merits  no  more  consideration  than  if  these  examples  had 
been  set  in  the  heart  of  Utopia  itself. 


30 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


WILL  USE  THE  SMEAD  SYSTEM. 

Warren,  O.,  May  11. — [Special  to  Plaindealer.] — At  a meeting  of  the  County  Commissioners 
to-day,  it  was  decided  to  use  the  Smead  dry-closet  system  in  the  Children’s  Home,  to  be  erected 
this  season.  This  decision  was  arrived  at  after  a thorough  investigation  into  the  charges  made  by 
the  enemies  of  Smead. 


ONLY  A SCARE. 

After  months  of  wire  pulling  on  the  part  of  interested  persons,  a popular  scare  was  at  last 
put  en  scene,  which  resulted  in  the  removal  from  the  Central  High  School  of  the  Smead  system  of 
dry  sewerage. 

To  say  that  nineteen-twentieths  of  the  objections  urged  against  the  Smead  system  are  abso- 
lutely without  ground  or  foundation  would  avail  nothing  at  this  time.  The  people  are  frightened 
and  they  will  not  stop  to  reason. 

Tell  us,  ye  bright  advocates  of  mediaeval  sewers,  which  is  more  dangerous  to  public  health  : 
Ten  thousand  sewer  connections,  back-vented  from  private  dwellings,  together  with  the  catch- 
basins  all  over  town,  or  the  chemically  pure  gases,  freed  of  their  poisonous  substances  by  com- 
bustion ? 

Which  is  the  better — the  safer  ? Ten  thousand  house  sewer  connections,  directly  poisoning 
as  many  families,  or  five  school  building  stacks  that  do  not  at  all  connect  with  the  buildings  in 
which  they  are  placed? 

And  what  about  the  15,000  or  more  vaults  that  exist  in  the  portions  of  the  town  not 
reached  by  sewerage  ? If  it  is  in  the  nature  of  this  aroma  to  kill,  how  is  it  possible  that  this  com- 
munity can  live  and  thrive  ? 

In  the  Central  High  School  the  system  of  ventilation  is  admittedly  defective,  but  that  is  no 
reason  for  the  failure  of  the  Smead  system.  The  death  of  Prof.  Campbell  is  charged  to  the 

“ system,”  and  yet  a reputable  physician  returns  the  cause  of  death  as  apoplexy  ! The  system  of 

ventilation  will  not  be  improved  by  the  re-introduction  of  the  old  sewerage  plan  ; it  will  only  be 
more  markedly  felt. 

But  it’s  popular,  now,  to  howl  about  the  Smead  system,  and  while  the  people  are  in  that 
state  of  mind  anything  that  bears  the  name  of  Smead  will  act  upon  their  diseased  imagination  as 
though  the  name  alone  were  hurtful.  It’s  a case  of  Christian  science  reversed.  In  the  one  case  you 
believe  yourself  cured,  until  your  illness  has  left  you.  In  the  other  you  think  yourself  ill  until  you 
do  take  to  your  bed. 

There  are  men  in  this  town — men,  too,  who  know  as  much  about  the  Smead  or  any  other 

sewerage  system  as  a cow  does  about  dominoes — who  have  talked  themselves  into  such  a fever  of 

anti-Smead  excitement  that  they  have  gone  stark  mad.  For  such  there  is  no  cure.  But  for  the 
thinking  people  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  acknowledge  their  error  in  driving  out  of  the 
town  the  best  system  of  school  sewerage  ever  introduced  here. 

Yesterday  afternoon  some  seventy-five  physicians  examined  this  terrible  death  trap  and 
strange  to  say,  pronounced  it  perfectly  harmless,  and  a good  sanitary  arrangement.  Have  they  all 
got  Sinead’s  money  in  their  pocket  ? — Town  Topics,  ( Cleveland ,)  May  11. 

WHAT  A CHEMIST  FOUND  AT  THE  CLEVELAND  CENTRAL  HIGH  SCHOOL. 

Prof.  A.  W.  Smith,  of  the  Case  School  of  Applied  Science,  has  completed  his  analysis  of  the 
air  in  and  about  the  Central  High,  Outh waite  and  Waring  School  buildings,  and  his  report  was 
forwarded  to  Health  Officer  Ashman  Tuesday  morning.  Prof.  Smith  says ; 

According  to  your  request,  analysis  of  the  air  of  the  Central  High,  Outhwaite  and  Waring 
Street  School  buildings  have  been  completed,  with  results  as  given  below  : 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


31 


Friday  afternoon  of  April  26  samples  of  air  were  collected  from  within  the  two  stacks  of  the 
High  School  building,  near  their  exit.  The  fires  in  the  stacks  were  then  extinguished,  and  Saturday 
morning  samples  were  taken  from  rooms  6 and  18,  from  the  boys’  closet,  and  on  May  I in  the  office. 
In  these  samples  ammonia  and  hydric  sulphide  were  determined  to  ascertain  whether  air  or  gases 
from  the  stacks  escaped  into  the  building.  The  air  from  the  north  and  south  shafts  contained  re- 
spectively, 1.22  and  2.74  parts  of  ammonia  per  million,  with  considerable  quantities  of  hydric  sul- 
phide ; room  t;  contained  0.13  parts  ; room  18,  0.27  parts  ; the  basement  closet,  0. 00  parts,  and  the 
office,  0.04  parts  of  ammonia,  with  too  small  a quantity  of  hydiic  sulphide  to  be  determined  by 
ordinary  methods.  These  results  show  the  air  of  the  building,  at  the  above  date,  to  he  free  from 
contamination  by  gases  from  the  shafts,  since  the  quantities  of  ammonia  and  hydric  sulphide  found 
in  the  rooms  are  within  the  limits  to  be  expected  in  the  city  atmosphere,  while  the  quantities  found 
within  the  shafts  prove  that  the  air  passing  out  of  them  was  contaminated  with  the  gases  from  the 
closets.  This  fact  was  also  apparent  from  the  odor  noticed  within  the  shaft. 

To  ascertain  and  compare  the  efficiency  of  ventilation  of  the  three  buildings  mentioned, 
samples  of  air  were  taken  from  the  different  rooms  in  the  High  School  on  the  afternoon  of  April  26, 
soon  after  the  pupils  had  left  the  building;  between  11  and  12  o’clock  of  the  morning  of  May  1, 
while  the  rooms  were  occupied  ; at  the  Outhwaite  and  Waring  buildings  between  3 and  4 o’clock 
of  the  afternoons  of  May  3 and  7 respectively,  just  before  the  schools  closed  for  the  day.  In  these 
samples  carbonic  dioxide  was  determined  with  the  following  results,  as  parts  per  10,000  by 
volume  : 

Carbonic  dioxide  (parts  per  10,000),  Central  High  School,  tests  of  April  26  : Room  3,  9.1 
parts;  room  6,  11.1  parts;  room  11,  6.1  parts;  room  12,  10.4  parts;  room  15,  14.5  parts;  room 
16,  7.8  parts;  room  17,  9.9  parts;  room  18,  6.6  parts;  basement,  17.3  parts;  outside  of  building, 
4.5  parts. 

Tests  of  May  1,  same  building  ; Room  4,  8.4  parts  ; room  6,  12.5  parts  ; room  9,  7.0  parts  ; 
room  12,  7.7  parts;  room  18,  11.7  parts;  room  16,  10.5  parts  ; 'assembly  room,  7.6  parts;  base- 
ment, 8.7  parts  ; closet,  5.9  parts. 

Outhwaite  School,  tests  of  May  3 : Room  1,  13.0  parts;  room  5,  9.4  parts  ; room  6,  15.0 
parts;  room  7,  13.0  parts  ; room  8,  9.1  parts;  room  10,  8.3  parts;  room  14,  12.4  parts;  room  16, 
14.9  parts;  room  17,  13.7  parts  ; basement,  6.3  parts. 

Waring  School,  tests  of  May  4 : Room  2,  9.1  parts  ; room  3,  8.4  parts ; room  4,  9.8  parts  ; 
room  5,  9.2  parts  ; room  6,  7.8  parts  ; room  7,  9.9  parts  ; room  8,  8.7  parts  ; room  10,  6.3  parts  ; 
basement,  7.1  parts. 

Normal  air  of  the  city  contains  from  3.0  to  4.0  parts  of  carbonic  dioxide  in  ten  thousand 
parts,  and  according  to  the  best  authorities,  air  containing  above  7 parts  as  the  results  of  respira- 
tion, is  unfit  tor  this  purpose  and  detrimental  to  health.  The  condition  of  air  in  the  Central  High 
School  and  Outhwaite  buildings  must,  therefore,  be  regarded  as  indicating  insufficient  ventilation. 
(1  hese  two  buildings  do  not  have  the  Sinead  system  of  ventilation.) 

AN  HYGIENIC  PROBLEM. 

In  the  advancement  v. hich  has  been  made  in  modern  architecture,  it  is  apparent  to  those 
who  have  knowledge  upon  the  subject  that  equal  progress  has  not  been  attained  to  in  the  matter  of 
a solution  of  the  all-important  hygienic  problem.  It  is  stated,  for  instance,  that  the  sewerage  con- 
structions in  the  most  famous  of  architectural  monuments  in  the  world  are  defective,  and  that  to 
this  more  than  to  any  natural  causes  may  be  attributed  the  fearful  death  rate,  which  at  certain 
times  prevails  to  the  horror  and  mystery  of  the  whole  world.  That  much  advance  has  been  made 
in  the  past  century  is  not  to  be  denied,  and,  in  fact,  it  might  be  stated  with  much  truth,  that  even 
now  more  than  half  the  battle  is  won  ; but  this  problem  is  an  ever-recurring  one.  The  advance  of 
civilization  brings  with  it  new  features,  and  adds  at  times  vexatious  problems  for  solution.  And 


32 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


this  subject  has  been  under  discussion  since  medical  science  first  secured  a foothold,  independent  of 
the  state  and  free  from  the  dogmatic  surveillance  of  the  church. 

One  of  the  most  talented  of  French  writers,  Victor  Hugo,  in  the  Les  Miserables,  called  at- 
tention to  the  wealth  which  underlies  the  city  of  Paris,  in  its  sewers,  and  stated  with  that  emphasis 
ringing  with  the  power  of  thought  which  surrounds  all  of  that  great  writer’s  works,  that  because 
of  an  almost  criminal  thoughtlessness  on  the  part  of  the  scientific  men  of  his  country,  all  that  wealth 
was  daily  being  swept  away  into  the  sea. 

It  is  very  possible  that  in  America,  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  truth  of  Victor 
Hugo’s  remarks  will  find  practical  demonstration  in  the  direction  which  those  authorities  upon 
hygienic  or  sanitary  engineering  are  tending,  in  the  solution  of  the  problem  of  the  disposal  of  sew- 
age, according  to  the  recent  acceptation  of  that  term. 

Quite  recently  the  subject  of  dry  closets,  as  an  hygienic  substitution  for  the  prevailing  system 
of  water  closets,  has  had  much  and  increasing  attention.  And  in  its  favor  it  may  be  stated  that 
after  thorough  examination,  it  has  gained  the  endorsement  of  a large  portion  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession, and  for  that  matter,  the  more  who  observe  this  system  of  dry  closets,  the  larger  favor  does 
it  attain  to.  A medical  authority,  in  a centrally  located  city  of  the  United  States,  has  given  his 
opinion  that  the  system  of  dry  closets,  to  which  his  attention  was  recently  called,  was  far  superior 
to  any  system  of  water  closets  extant,  and  that  the  system  under  discussion  was  based  upon  ap- 
proved scientific  principles.  As  explained  in  a recent  interview,  this  system  is  dependent  upon  a 
principal  of  construction  which  absolutely  prevents  fermentative  or  putrefactive  changes  in  the 
contents  of  the  vault  constructed  according  to  the  specifications  required,  and  thus  obviates  any 
theoretical  danger  of  poisonous  emanations  therefrom. 

It  is  an  accepted  theory  that  disease  in  most  cases  springs  from  the  prevalence  of  noxious 
gases  arising  from  defective  sewerage  and  imperfect  drainage.  It  is  also  supposed  that  the  relation 
of  disease  to  the  noxious  gases  is  through  the  development  of  germs.  Whatever  may  be  the 
causes,  and  of  whatever  infinitesimal  nature,  it  is  generally  admitted  that  decomposition  is  always 
to  be  found  at  the  base.  Now,  the  system  of  dry  closets  above  referred  to  does  away  entirely  with 
decomposition.  Remove  the  cause  and  the  disease  will  disappear. 

The  results  are  subjected  to  currents  of  warm  air,  which  dries  up  at  once  <dl  its  contents, 
and  at  stated  times  the  residue  is  subjected  to  a quick  combustion,  which  reduces  all  matter  to 
nothing,  that  is,  to  an  inodorous,  harmless,  diffusive  gas , which  arises  and  is  dispelled  in  the  air- 
in  conclusion,  the  medical  authority  above  referred  to  states  that  such  a system  prevents  putrefac" 
tive  changes  in  the  matter  and  dispels  the  gases  as  they  arise  in  the  air. 

“Conceive,”  says  he,  “of  the  emautaions  of  this  city  of  250,000  people  passing  into  the  air, 
and  with  them  the  emanations  from  the  vast  number  of  animals  of  all  kinds  here  and  from  their 
excreta  ! How  inappreciable  in  comparison  are  the  emanations  from  the  1,000  pupils  of  the  High 
School,  which  through  a beneficent  plan  of  the  diffusion  of  gases  by  and  through  the  atmosphere, 
are  rendered  harmless.  Contrast,  then,  the  accumulations  of  organic  matter  in  water,  whether 
standing  or  running,  which  are  much  more  liable  to  discharge  noxious  gas  into  the  air  in  pent  up 
places,  while  they  should  be  afforded  the  most  free  diffusion.  I have  no  doubt  that  the  dangers  are 
very  much  greater  with  a system  of  confining  in  sewers  than  with  this  method.  I am  so  impressed 
with  it  that  I should  much  prefer  to  have  a system  of  that  kind  in  my  house  than  any  system  of 
water  closets  I now  have,  and  I have  the  best  that  could  be  obtained  at  the  time.  I give  this  as  my 
free  will  opinion  in  the  interests  of  the  public  health  an<J  of  sanitary  science.” — American  Artisan. 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


83 


HEATING,  VENTILATING  AND  DRY  CLOSETS. 


A Pater  Head  Before  tiie  State  Homeopathic  Medical  Society,  at  Cincinnati,  O.,  May 
14,  1889,  by  J.  W.  Clemmer,  M.  D.,  Columbus,  O. 


The  hygiene  of  public  buildings  is  defective.  This  applies  especially  to  beating  and  ventila- 
tion. In  any  city  one  can  observe  a lack  of  scientific  exactness  in  this  matter.  Natural  law  is 
ignored.  Health  considerations  are  lost  in  the  aesthetic  effect  of  the  architect  or  in  the  stupidity  of 
the  engineer.  Many  halls,  theaters,  churches,  court  houses  and  other  public  buildings  are  heated 
without  any  means  of  ventilation  excepting  that  by  opening  the  windows  and  doors.  Under  pre- 
tense of  ventilating  others,  the  architect  has  made  vents  high  up  in  the  wall  or  ceiling,  presumably 
for  the  escape  of  foul  air.  The  result  is,  the  pure,  warm  air  escapes  by  these  means,  while  the  cold? 
foul  air,  being  of  greater  specific  gravity,  descends  to  the  floor.  Let  it  be  fixed  in  mind  and  in 
practice  that  air  ducts  intended  for  the  escape  of  cold,  foul  air,  if  not  placed  near  the  floor,  will 
serve  the  interests  of  the  coal  dealer  alone,  and  rob  the  innocent  occupant  of  both  health  and 
comfort. 

Another  mistake  you  will  find,  as  I have,  in  visiting  public  buildings,  that  foul  air  registers 
lead  to  conduits  that  return  the  cold,  foul  air  to  the  furnace,  to  be  re-heated  and  returned  again  to 
the  room.  It  is  observed,  too,  that  cold,  foul  air  flues  in  the  same  room  with  grate  fires  are  incom- 
patible. By  causing  draft  in  the  grate  flue  the  air  pressure  in  the  foul  air  ducts  is  lessened  and  its 
contents  are  returned  to  the  room,  thus  the  order  of  air  circulation  is  reversed.  It  is  also  found 
that  the  cold  air  inlet  is  too  small,  or  made  to  pass  the  air  over  coal,  rubbish  and  dust  heaps,  thus 
fouling  it  before  it  reaches  the  heaters.  All  sorts  of  failure  may  be  observed.  In  very  cold  weather 
there  is  often  an  inadequate  amount  of  heat  furnished.  Schools  and  other  assemblies  have  to  be 
dismissed  or  punished  with  a cold  temperature.  More  frequently  there  is  a lack  of  ventilation. 
In  fact,  as  a rule,  the  heating  and  ventilation  of  public  buildings  are  horrible. 

AVho  is  responsible  ? Surely  not  the  school  girl,  or  the  church  member,  or  the  theater  goer. 
The  people  are  not  responsible.  The  architect , the  engineer  and  the  physician  are  responsible. 
The  mechanical  artisan  plumes  himself  upon  the  elegance  and  beauty  of  his  work.  He  pleases  the 
owner  and  the  public  with  a structure  whose  exterior  is  the  expression  of  perfect  symmetry  and 
form,  whose  interior  bespeaks  the  embellishment  of  art  and  refinement,  but  alas  ! whose  sanitary 
effect  is  lost  in  neglect,  discomfort  and  impaired  health.  The  physician,  like  the  supreme  judge, 
renders  final  decision.  The  sanitary  arrangement  of  buildings  requires  his  approval.  It  is  his 
business  to  decide  in  matters  of  health,  and  it  becomes  his  duty  to  aid  the  architect,  plumber, 
builder  and  engineer  to  construct  sanitary  houses. 

The  union  of  scientific  fact  to  mechanical  art  is  the  basis  upon  which  rests  the  hygiene  of 
public  buildings.  The  physiology  of  respiration  is  no  less  a factor  in  a system  of  heating  and  ven- 
tilation than  the  construction  of  flues  or  the  payment  of  costs.  Indeed,  a knowledge  of  the  require- 
ments of  physiological  existence  is  the  prime  factor,  whose  importance  outranks  the  blandishments 
of  art.  A knowledge  of  the  atmosphere  and  of  pneumatic  law  should  be  built  in  the  heating  and 
ventilating  apparatus.  The  behavior  of  the  atmosphere  under  varying  conditions  of  temperature, 
moisture, ^contamination,  high  winds  and  local  environments  must  be  understood  and  respected  by 


34 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


the  engineer.  A perfect  system  stands  as  an  index  to  both  scientific  knowledge  and  mechanical 
skill.  Every  surgical  instrument  expresses  this  fact.  Living  rooms,  like  the  instrument,  in  the 
hands  of  art,  should  be  fashioned  at  the  dictation  of  science.  In  this  way,  school  rooms,  for  in- 
stance, would  be  so  constructed  and  ventilated  that  the  normal  proportion  of  carbonic  acid  in  the 
atmosphere  (4  parts  in  10,000)  would  not,  during  occupation,  reach  the  danger  line  at  7 or  8 in 
10,000.  To  keep  within  safe  limits,  it  is  found,  upon  good  authority  and  experiment,  that  man 
requires  40  cubic  feet  of  fresh  air  every  minute.  This  requirement  presumes  continuous  habitation 
without  opportunity  for  frequent  airings,  as  in  the  case  of  public  buildings.  Dr.  Billings  says  : 
“For  schools  the  allowance  of  from  25  to  30  cubic  feet  per  minute  and  head  will  answer  all  need- 
ful purposes.”  With  such  an  amount  of  air  to  be  supplied  so  rapidly  it  is  evident  that  the  size  of 
the  room  and  the  number  of  occupants  become  important  considerations.  Unfortunately  authori- 
ties differ  as  to  the  amount  of  air  space  that  should  be  allowed  to  each  occupant  of  the  room.  An 
average  of  six  authorities  places  the  figure  at  240  cubic  feet.  In  order  that  a school  room  may 
not  be  too  large  for  lighting,  disciplining  and  teaching,  the  number  of  pupils  should  not  exceed 
55  or  60. 

From  these  general,  hasty  considerations,  ventilation  begins  to  assert  its  claims  and  to 
formulate  the  conditions  upon  which  it  is  to  be  secured.  Slowly  a definition  of  the  subject  unfolds 
itself.  Ventilation  may  be  defined  to  be  a constant  admission  of  pure  air  to  a room  with  an  equal- 
izing temperature,  the  difference  in  temperature  not  to  exceed  10  degrees  Fahr.  in  different  parts  of 
the  room,  to  displace  the  foul  air  which  is  as  constantly  exhausted  from  the  building  without  ap- 
preciable  draft,  yet  sufficiently  rapid  to  renew  all  the  air  in  the  room  in  from  10  to  30  minutes,  ac- 
cording to  the  size  of  the  air  space  and  the  number  of  occupants. 

In  public  buildings,  grates  and  stoves  or  any  other  means  of  furnishing  heat  by  direct  radia- 
tion alone  must  be  abandoned,  because  there  is  not  an  equalization  of  temperature  in  all  parts  of 
the  room.  The  supply  of  heat  is  irregular  and  inadequate.  Besides,  these  means  oppose  the  prin- 
ciple of  perfect  ventilation.  Furnaces  of  various  kinds  and  in  endless  variety  that  pall  upon  the 
market,  bespeak  their  own  opposition  and  confusion,  in  principle  and  practice.  Some  afford  no 
ventilation  except  by  opening  windows,  others  are  used  with  an  insufficient  pure  air  supply  ; others 
do  not  admit  fresh  air  directly  from  the  outside, but  depend  epon  cellar  air,  which  is  more  or  less 
contaminated  by  fouling  sources. 

In  the  introduction  of  furnaces,  many  are  adjusted  according  to  a stereotyped  method  of 
conduits,  flues  and  pipes,  regardless  of  the  size,  number  or  elevation  of  the  rooms  to  be  heated.  In 
many,  the  requirements  of  physiological  living  and  the  necessity  of  renewed  air  at  a certain  temper- 
ature are  conditions  not  supplied. 

On  account  of  a lack  of  sufficient  ventilation,  emanations  from  the  body,  and,  in  a mixed 
audience,  the  malodorous  compound  gas  of  neglected  “catarrh,”  tuberculous  and  other  diseases, 
bad  whiskey  and  decayed  teeth,  hang  about  public  rooms  as  gods  of  evil  to  mock  the  intelligence 
of  the  jurist,  the  divine  and  the  teacher,  and  to  indicate  injured  innocence  in  acts  of  commission  by 
culpable  architects  and  “furnace  men,”  and  the  sins  of  omission  by  the  sanitarian. 

As  an  index  to  the  worth  of  heating  and  and  ventilating  apparatus  in  general  use,  I quote 
the  language  of  Dr.  R.  Harvey  Reed,  of  Mansfield,  from  a reported  investigation  of  the  school 
buildings  and  churches  of  that  city.  These  are  all  heated  by  furnaces  of  various  kinds,  excepting 
one  heated  by  steam.  He  says  : “I  have  examined  fifteen  churches  and  nine  school  houses,  every 
one  of  which  I visited  in  person,  from  cellar  to  the  garret,  and  examined  carefully  their  systems  of 
heating  and  ventilating,  and  when  necessary  actually  tested  the  drafts  and  currents  of  air  by  proper 
methods,  to  satisfy  myself  of  their  exact  course  ; and  whilst  a few  of  them  are  fair,  I have  failed  to 
find  a single  one  complete  and  the  majority  of  them  are  simply  horrible  !” 

These  observations  corroborate  those  made  with  respect  to  some  of  the  public  buildings  in 
Columbus.  My  examinations  and  information  produce  the  conviction  that  the  ordinary  methods  of 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


35 

heating  and  ventilating  public  buildings  are  very  imperfect,  that  the  majority  of  apparatus,  both 
furnace  and  steam,  in  present  use,  fail  to  reach  a standard  of  perfection  required  by  both  health 
and  comfort. 

Steam  heating  for  large  buildings  is  popular.  With  a low  pressure  and  the  direct-indirect 
radiation,  this  mode  of  wanning  is  satisfactory.  Still,  steam  apparatus  lias  an  element  of  danger; 
it  is  expensive  and  requires  skillful  engineering  to  insure  satisfaction.  The  cost  for  repairs  is  con- 
siderable. For  the  purpose  of  perfect  ventilation  exhaust  fans  must  be  attached.  The  government 
building  at  Columbus,  the  School  of  Technology  in  Boston,  and  many  other  structures  are  thus 
heated  and  properly  ventilated. 

What  is  wanted,  especially  in  meeting  the  demands  of  a rapidly  increasing  school  life,  is  an 
apparatus  that  will  heat  the  largest  building  in  the  coldest  weather,  and  guarantee  perfect  ventila- 
tion, at  a moderate  cost.  It  must  supply  the  conditions  already  indicated  : (1)  regulation  and  uni- 
formity of  temperature  throughout  the  room  and  building  ; (2)  abundance  of  pure  air  for  every 
person,  and  (3)  prompt  removal  of  foul  air  from  each  room. 

The  Sinead  system  of  heating  and  ventilation  supplies  these  conditions  and  meets  all  require- 
ments. The  pure  air  supply  is  brought  in  through  a basement  window,  always  open,  to  the  cold 
air  room,  always  clean,  in  which  is  located  the  heating  apparatus  or  air  warmers.  These  furnaces 
differ  from  all  others  in  being  constructed  upon  principles  founded  in  the  engine  boiler,  which  pre- 
sents the  largest  amount  of  heated  surface.  The  heat  generated  in  the  fire  box,  together  with  the 
flame,  smoke  and  other  heated  products  of  combustion,  instead  of  passing  more  or  less  directly  to 
the  smoke  Hue,  as  in  other  furnaces,  is  held  as  long  as  possible.  The  heat,  flame,  etc.,  are  made  to 
return  to  the  front  of  the  air  warmer  (furnace)  through  twelve  iron  tubes  immediately  above  the 
tire  box  ; thence  they  are  again  returned  to  the  rear,  through  a large  flue,  to  the  smoke  stack. 
Economy  of  fuel  finds  explanation  in  the  character  of  the  warmer  in  presenting  a large  amount  of 
tire  surface,  which  means  surface  with  fire  inside.  The  whole  is  encased  in  masonry  work  with  cold 
air  inlets  at  the  bottom,  and,  at  the  top,  the  hot  air  chambers  are  mounted  with  brick  flues  to  con- 
duct the  pure,  warm  air  to  the  rooms  above  through  registers.  Above  each  register  is  the  “ regu- 
lator,” which  is  a ratchet  crack  moving  over  a dial  marked  “warm  air”  and  “cold  air.”  When 
the  crank  is  moved  to  the  right,  pure,  cold  air  from  the  fresh  air  room  in  the  basement  is  admitted 
to  the  room  ; when  turned  to  the  left,  pure,  warm  air  is  admitted,  and  from  the  same  source,  only 
it  is  made  to  pass  over  the  tubular  heaters.  The  regulation  of  temperature  to  any-  degree  is  by 
means  of  a valve  at  the  bottom  of  the  air  flue  near  the  heater,  so  arranged  as  to  give  vent  to  either 
warm  air  or  cold  air,  and  by  means  of  a chain  put  in  command  at  the  regulator.  It  is  possible  to 
regulate  the  temperature  of  the  air  admitted  to  the  room,  but  it  is  impossible  to  cut  off  the  circula- 
tion of  pure  air  into  the  room,  ar  to  impede  its  ventilation.  Despite  the  carelessness  or  preoccupa- 
tion of  the  teacher,  the  supply  of  pure  air  is  constant  and  irresistable.  The  foul  air  is  taken  out 
through  a number  of  registers  (6  inches  by  3 or  4 feet)  located  around  the  room  in  the  baseboard. 
The  sum  of  the  vent  areas  is  more  than  that  of  the  warm  air  register,  a requisition  often  disre- 
garded. 

Vent  shafts  at  convenient  points  in  relation  to  the  rooms  are  erected,  large  enough  to  carry- 
on  the  circulation  of  the  building  and  tall  enough  to  extend  beyond  the  cone  of  the  roof,  in  order 
to  avoid  temporary  embarrassment  to  the  outflow  during  high  winds.  At  the  base  of  each  of  these 
shafts  or  stacks  is  placed  a small  furnace,  the  “ stack  heater,”  to  secure  draft. 

It  becomes  plain,  now,  to  see  how  the  foul  air  in  the  room  is  to  find  vent.  After  being 
drawn  out  at  the  baseboards,  the  foul  but  partially  warmed  air  is  made  to  pass  under  the  floor  and 
to  traverse  this  enclosed  space  between  the  floor  and  ceiling  in  all  directions  by  means  of  furred 
strips  over  the  joists.  In  its  passage  the  floor  and  feet  of  the  occupants  are  kept  warm,  thus  meet- 
ing the  injunction  of  professional  advice,  “Keep  your  feet  dry  and  warm.”  After  the  escaping  air 
serves  such  good  purpose,  it  is  conducted  to  one  corner  of  the  room,  where  it  enters  the  vent  shaft 


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ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


on  its  way  out  at  the  top  of  the  shaft.  This  circulation  beginning  with  the  great  ocean  of  atmos- 
pheric air  through  the  cold  air  room,  over  warmers  into  flues,  into  rooms  and  halls,  beneath  floors 
and  out  the  stack,  back  to  space,  is  like  the  great  circulation  of  waters  in  nature,  beginning  with 
absorption  from  the  ocean,  followed  by  saturation,  condensation,  cloud  formation,  precipitation,  in 
the  endless  round  of  rain,  river  and  its  return  to  old  ocean. 

“ The  Sinead  system  of  dry  closets' ’ is  a newly  discovered  star  in  the  firmament  of  sanitary 
science.  It  is  not  a necessary  part  of  the  Sinead  system  of  heating  and  ventilation.  Each  may  be 
adjusted  to  a building  without  the  other.  Together  they  complement  each  other.  When  the  dry 
closets  are  added,  the  course  of  the  foul  air  on  its  way  out  of  the  building  is  changed.  The  ex- 
haust air  from  every  room  in  the  building  is  taken  downward  at  convenient  points  (under  the 
floor),  all  sources  being  drawn  to  the  foul  air  gathering  room  (in  the  basement),  in  which  is  placed 
at  one  end  a trench  over  which  the  closet  seats  are  placed.  At  the  other  end  of  the  trench,  or 
vault,  is  erected  the  vent  shaft  or  foul  air  stack.  The  closet  trench  is  nothing  but  a horizantal  sec- 
tion of  the  shaft.  At  the  base  of  the  stack,  remember,  is  placed  the  stack  heater.  The  vault  is 
about  four  feet  wide  and  four  feet  deep,  and  as  long  as  seating  capacity  may  require.  It  is  lined 
with  brick  and  the  seats  with  sheet  iron,  making  the  vault  fire  proof.  The  floor  of  the  vault  rests 
upon  iron  cross  bars.  Beneath  this  is  an  interspace  of  a few  inches  overlying  a bed  of  gravel. 
The  brick  floor  upon  which  the  excreta  are  deposited,  as  well  as  the  gravelly  sub-strata,  will  absorb 
an  excess  of  liquid  matter  pending  its  removal  by  the  currents  of  air  through  and  under  the  vault 
on  its  way  to  the  stack  from  the  foul  air  room.  A urinal  is  also  attached,  with  the  same  relation 
to  the  vault  as  the  seats.  The  floor  near  the  urinal  and  seats  is  made  of  perforated  iron,  to  provide 
for  the  inward  draft. 

The  two  systems  are  outlined.  With  this  picture  of  a building  that  is  intended  to  breathe, 
to  do  its  own  plumbing  and  drainage,  to  dispense  with  the  services  of  the  “night  cart”  and  all  its 
associate  evils,  to  place  the  hygiene  of  public  buildings  so  far  in  advance  of  present  methods  that  it 
would  appear  to  stand  matchless  in  its  approach  to  Eutopiau  perfection,  the  Goddess  Hygiea  is  con- 
sulted to  learn  if  these  things  are  true  in  practice  as  in  tautology.  These  were  the  thoughts  that 
induced  me  to  investigate,  with  a determination  to  either  oppose  or  attack  according  to  conviction. 
This  system  is  being  introduced  into  many  public  buildings  through  the  country,  and  it  becomes 
our  duty,  as  physicians,  to  investigate  its  sanitary  effect,  especially  on  school  life. 

Time  will  not  permit  of  details.  The  history  and  literature  of  the  subject  bristle  with  re- 
ports of  investigating  committees,  chemists  and  sanitarians.  I will  glean  a few  statements  from 
these  sources  and  from  personal  examinations  and  tests.  Besides,  you  are  invited  to  investigate  for 
yourself.  The  work,  like  a model,  invites  inspection.  You  will  find  that  2,000  cubic  feet  of  air 
every  hour  is  afforded  every  occupant ; that  rooms  are  kept  at  a uniform  temperature  in  the  coldest 
weather  ; that  the  temperature  of  the  room  at  floor  and  ceiling  does  not  vary  more  than  0 to  8 de- 
grees ; that  the  air  is  exchanged  every  10  to  20  minutes  ; that  the  exhaust  at  the  top  of  the  vpnt 
stack,  as  determined  by  the  air  meter,  equals  the  amount  of  the  pure  air  at  the  registers.  In  heat- 
ing the  room  the  thermometer  will  show,  under  proper  conditions,  an  increase  of  temperature  of 
two  degrees  per  minute,  indicating  that  the  work  of  the  warmers  is  rapid  and  very  satisfactory  on 
a cold  morning.  Again,  oil  of  peppermint  scattered  in  the  fresh  air  room,  in  two  minutes  is  de- 
tected in  the  foul  air  gathering  room,  showing  how  rapidly  air  makes  a complete  circuit  of  the 
building. 

One  of  the  School  Board  committee  of  East  Saginaw,  Mich.,  reported:  “By  using  a deli- 
cately adjusted  air  meter,  we  observed  the  supply  of  fresh,  warm  air  was  sufficient  to  fill  the  room 
every  12  minutes.  By  applying  the  same  means  to  the  ventilating  stacks  in  the  base,  the  outflow  of 
vitiated  air  corresponded  in  quantity  to  the  supply  of  fresh  air.  The  same  test  applied  to  the  closet 
vaults,  showed  350,000  cubic  feet  to  pass  every  hour,  which  at  80  per  cent,  relative  humidity,  is 
capable  of  taking  up  about  five  gallons  of  liquid  matter  every  hour.  Five-sixths  of  the  excreta  are 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


37 


liquid  constituents.  Upon  scientific  principles  it  is  shown  that  the  dry  closet  will  do  all  that  is 
claimed  for  it.  But  it  is  not  necessary  to  depend  upon  theory  when  practice  demonstrates  the 
fact.” 

My  visits  to  the  Columbus  schools  corroborated  the  statements  of  others.  In  each  case  the 
closet  room  was  absolutely  odorless.  Upon  raising  a seat  lid  a strong  down  current  was  found, 
sufficient  to  draw  out  a lighted  match  and  a tallow  candle.  The  fmcal  matter  was  thoroughly  dry. 
It  was  impossible  to  get  bad  odor,  even  at  the  seat.  The  vaults  are  cleaned  by  combustion  in  situ. 
The  residue  of  a winter's  dejecta  can  be  burned  easily,  leaving  only  the  ashes  to  be  swept  out  by 
the  janitor. 

The  Columbus  School  Board  are  highly  pleased  with  the  system,  and  are  giving  it  place  in 
all  new  buildings  and  in  some  of  the  old.  In  their  last  annual  report  reference  to  expense  for  coal 
is  made  : “ Average  tons  to  room — Steam,  10;  Sinead,  0.”  In  ten  years,  seven  buildings  heated 

by  steam  cost  nearly  *11,000  for  repairs,  while  the  Sinead  guarantees  no  costs  for  repairs  for  first 
ten  years. 

In  my  researches  I found  no  trouble  or  complaint  with  the  heating  and  ventilating  apparatus. 
This  seems  to  be  faultless. 

The  dry  closet  system  in  Cleveland,  in  the  Central  High  School  building,  did  not  work  well 
for  a time,  until  certain  corrections  were  made  in  a faulty  adjustment  of  tin  system.  The  gullibility 
of  the  people  and  their  ignorance  of  technical  matters  paved  the  way  to  a newspaper  sensation 
causing  public  excitement  and  remonstrance,  under  the  pressure  of  which  the  Board  of  Health  issued 
an  edict  of  extermination  which,  at  this  writing,  is  trembling  in  the  balance  of  execution  before  the 
Board  of  Education.  In  my  judgment,  this  sanitary  board,  in  condemning  the  dry  closets,  is  making 
a record  that  will  being  rcpvoach  to  itself  in  the  near  future. 

The  Annals  of  Hygiene,  the  official  organ  of  the  State  Board  of  Health  of  Pennsylvania,  in 
its  April  number  of  the  current  year,  contained  an  article  describing  the  dry  closet  system.  In  the 
May  number  is  found  an  editorial  upon  the  same  subject.  Extracts  only  can  be  given.  The  article 
in  the  April  number  created  comment.  Among  others,  an  Ohio  physician  writes,  “ because  of  a 
newspaper  publication  condemning  the  system  which  he  desired  to  have  verified  or  disproven.”  It 
is  claimed  that  the  gases  of  decomposition  from  the  vent  stack  cause  disease.  The  editor  says  : 
“Before  deciding  to  describe  this  system  in  our  pages  we  made  a most  critical  examination  of  its 
working  qualities  and  then  set  to  work  to  try  to  find  fault  therewith.”  He  goes  on  to  explode  the 
theory  of  contamination.  He  wrote  to  physicians  in  localities  of  the  dry  closets,  and  says:  “In 
no  instance  does  the  experience  of  scientific  men  give  a shadow  of  support  to  this  unfounded  news- 
paper representation.”  One  of  the  editor’s  correspondents  reports  that  the  closets  were  introduced 
into  all  the  school  buildings  of  his  city,  and  says  : “ I have  examined  them  repeatedly  and  never 

found  one  that  allowed  the  faintest  odor  to  get  out  into  the  building.  This  is  the  only  system  of 
inside  closets  with  such  a record.'''’ 

The  editor  gives  no  names,  and,  after  disclaiming  any  interest  outside  the  interest  of  human- 
ity, says  of  the  dry  closet  system  : “It  is,  we  believe,  a great  step  in  sanitary  progress  and  we  are 
anxious  to  give  it  all  the  publicity  possible.” 

Dr.  II.  .1.  Herrick,  of  Cleveland,  a prominent  physician  and  sanitarian,  is  on  record  favoring 
the  dry  closet  system.  lie  regards  it  “ far  superior  to  any  water  closet.  The  drying  out  process 
prevents  the  fermentation  or  putrefactive  changes  which  would  induce  the  generation  of  noxious 
gases.”  Again  he  says  : “ The  atmosphere  has  a very  much  greater  capacity  for  destroying  and 

diffusing  noxious  germs  or  noxious  gases  than  water.” 

The  objection  urged  that  the  surrounding  atmosphere  is  fouled  by  ejections  of  noxious  gases 
in  the  dry  closet  system  is  empty  cavil.  Grant  it  is  an  evil.  The  same  system  of  ventilating 
sewers,  house  drains,  and  soil  pipes  obtains  in  the  sewerage  system.  The  soil  pipe  is  extended 
through  the  roof  for  the  purpose  of  ventilation.  The  foulest  and  most  dangerous  section  of  the 


38 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


sewerage  system  is  in  the  dwelling.  Sewer  gas  under  air  pressure  in  the  sewer,  will  bubble  up 
through  the  trap  water.  Traps  may  be  syphoned.  Ventilation  is  often  defective  ; plumbing  may 
be  bad.  In  order  to  avoid  sewer  gas  by  its  diffusion  and  dilution  with  the  atmosphere,  the  whole 
sewer  is  ventilated.  Sever  gas  is  taken  out  at  every  gutter  drop  and  manhole  along  the  trunk 
sewer , and  6ut  at  every  soil  pipe  in  every  plumbed  house , thus  creating  thousands  of  short  vent 
stacks  in  every  city  to  discharge  noxious  gases  and  bacteria.  No  one  is  foolish  enough  to  attempt  a 
sensation  in  which  is  pictured  bacteria  and  death  germs,  as  large  as  bats,  flowing  through  these 
vents  to  decimate  an  unsuspecting  populace. 

Why  should  the  dry  closet  be  attacked  ? Three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  cubic  feet  of  air 
passing  through  its  vault  every  hour  insures  perfect  ventilation,  as  compared  to  the  dangerous  im- 
perfections of  plumbing.  Besides  the  dry  closet  does  not  tolerate  putrefaction  and  decomposition 
of  organic  matter  in  foul,  slimy,  damp  places  as  culture  beds  for  disease  germs.  The  desiccation 
of  excreta,  with  the  prompt  removal  of  its  liquid  portions  (5-6ths)  into  regions  of  atmospheric  dilu- 
tion, is  nature’s  own  method.  The  chemistry  of  the  sun  and  vegetation  in  the  great  laboratory  of 
nature,  provides  for  the  disposal  of  noxious  gases.  Oxygen  is  the  scavenger  of  nature  whose  j>ro- 
ducts,  ammonia  and  carbonic  acid  are  appropriated  by  plant  life. 

All  I ask  of  any  closet  system  is  the  complete  removal  of  both  liquids  and  solids  from  the 
building  with  no  trace  of  malodor  of  its  dangerous  presence  in  living  apartments.  We  all  know 
what  the  old  fashioned  vault  is,  what  the  reeking  laterine  is,  what  plumbing  is.  They  do  not  meet 
these  conditions  satisfactorily.  Then  let  the  dry  closet  system,  which  is  not  opposed  by  its  own 
defects,  but  by  the  irrational  dread  of  innovation , be  treated  with  fairness  and  reason.  Foisting 
upon  it  the  same  objections  that  are  placed  against  the  system  in  prevalent  use,  is  manifestly  unfair, 
and  hobbles  its  merits.  Like  all  progressive  ideas,  this  is  opposed  in  its  infancy  only  to  stimulate 
its  worth  and  growth.  Despite  its  invective  abuse  its  supremacy  in  school  buildings  is  already  es- 
tablished. 

FROM  REPORT  OF  COMMISSIONERS,  DISTRICT  OF  COLUMBIA , FOR  1S88. 

* * * * The  above  expenditure  includes  amount  paid  to  Isaac  D.  Smead,  under  contract 

No.  841  for  the  introduction  and  construction  of  the  dry  closet  system  in  the  Peabody,  Garnett, 
Abbott  and  Henry  School  buildings — $3,879.30. 

The  appropriation  was  applied  to  the  removal  of  the  water  closets  from  the  basements  of  the 
Peabody,  Garnett,  Henry,  Abbott,  Force  and  Franklin.  At  the  first  four  named  the  Smead  dry 
closet  system  was  constructed. 

The  dry  closet  system,  as  placed  in  the  old  and  new  buildings,  has  proved  a great  success. 
In  the  twelve-room  buildings  occupied  during  the  year,  with  an  average  of  600,  and  the  eight-room 
buildings,  with  an  average  of  400  pupils,  the  evaporation  so  far  consumed  the  excrement  that,  at  the 
closing  of  the  school  year  when  they  were  burned  out , nothing  remained  but  a small  quantity  of 
ashes,  and  at  no  time  has  there  been  any  cause  of  complaint. 

The  system  is  an  economical  arrangement,  both  in  first  cost  and  constant  use,  as  they  are  not 
liable  to  become  impaired  to  any  extent  and  repairs  to  them  can  at  no  time  be  extensive  or  expen- 
sive. 

Thomas  B.  Entwistle, 
Inspector  of  Buildings,  District  of  Columbia. 

OX  VENTILATION,  BY  IP  B.  POWELL. 

The  school  rooms  that  have  been  provided  during  the  last  ten  or  more  years  are  cheerful, 
thoroughly  ventilated,  and  healthful.  I am  glad  to  be  able  to  say  the  system  of  ventilation  em- 
ployed ventilates,  and  ventilates  in  spjite  of  the  preoccupation  of  the  teacher  or  of  the  janitor.  In 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


;50 


respect  of  heating,  lighting  and  ventilation,  nothing  more  is  to  he  desired  in  the  new  buildings. 
Some  of  our  older  buildings,  however,  although  tine,  imposing  structures,  are  poorly  ventilated  or 
not  ventilated  at  all.  The  more  prominent  of  the  former  are  the  Franklin  and  the  Jefferson  ; of  the 
latter,  the  Wallach  and  the  Craneli.  Nothing,  to  my  mind,  should  he  urged  more  strongly,  save 
only  additional  accommodations,  than  the  improvement  of  the  ventilating  processes  in  the  buildings 
named  and  in  a few  others.  So  easily  may  this  he  done,  and  at  such  a trilling  expense  compara- 
tively, with  the  knowledge  now  possessed,  that  I should  feel  myself  remiss  did  1 fail  to  call  your 
attention  to  this  most  urgent  need  and  thus  emphasize  the  suggestions  of  my  co-laborers. 

W.  I>.  Powell, 

Superintendent  of  Schools,  District  of  Columbia. 

S ANITA  BY  CONDITION  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

The  sanitary  condition  of  our  public  schools  has  been  greatly  improved  since  the  recom- 
mendations in  my  previous  report  have  been  carried  out,  as  far  as  the  appropriation  made  by  Con- 
gress would  permit.  Another  appropriation,  however,  is  needed  to  reconstruct  the  yard  closets  and 
the  apartments  in  which  they  are  located  belonging  to  some  of  the  old  school  houses.  The  Smead 
dry  closet  system  having  been  adopted  by  the  commissioners  and  introduced  in  twenty  school  build- 
ings, it  may  be  proper  for  me  to  give  some  explanation  of  the  practical  workings  of  this  system,  as 
it  is  now  in  use  in  connection  with  Sinead's  system  of  heating  and  ventilation. 

“ Fresh  air  from  out  of  doors  is  supplied  in  such  quantities  as  may  be  desired,  which  is 
heated  by  furnaces  and  passes  through  various  flues  into  each  school  room.  The  same  volume  of 
air  enters  the  room  constantly  and  the  proportion  of  warm  and  cold  can  be  regulated  by  the  teachei 
according  to  the  requirements.  After  circulating  through  the  room,  it  passes  out  through  grated 
openings  which  are  placed  at  short  intervals  in  the  baseboards  on  the  outer  boundaries  of  the  room. 
This  warm  air  then  passes  under  the  door,  heating  it  sufficiently  to  warm  the  feet,  and  is  carried  to 
the  foul  air  room  in  the  basement.  From  thence  it  is  drawn,  by  way  of  arched  openings  in  the  brick 
wall,  through  the  privy  vaults,  beneath  the  seats,  to  the  brick  foul  air  chimney,  whence  it  escapes 
into  the  open  air.  The,  philosophy  of  the  arrangement  is  exceedingly  simple.  This  current  is  created 
by  the  natural  disposition  of  heated  air  to  rise,  and  the  draught  thus  produced  in  the  stack  is  amply 
sufficient  for  the  purpose.  For  use  in  summer,  a small  heater  is  built  in  the  wall  at  the  base  of  the 
stack,  and  when  the  draught  is  not  sufficiently  strong  without  it  (as  perhaps  on  damp,  muggy  days), 
a tire  may  be  quickly  kindled  here,  and  the  hot  air  rising  through  the  stack  at  once  stimulates  the 
draught  to  any  required  extent.” 

I have  examined  these  closets  under  all  circumstances  and  conditions  since  they  have  been  in 
use,  and  I find  them  at  all  times  working  satisfactorily , the  air  in  the  rooms  being  purer  than  where 
plumbing  fixtures  are  used. 

Samuel  A.  Robixsox, 

Superintendent  of  Plumbing,  District  of  Columbia. 


40 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


CONSIDERING  THE  SMEAD  DRY  CLOSET  SYSTEM. 

Proceedings  of  a Meeting  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  Monday 

Evening,  May  6th,  1889,  on  that  Subject. 


Drtring  the  "discussion,  by  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Education,  upon  the  subject  of  the 
removal  ot  the  closets,  the  opinion  seemed  to  be  general  that  it  was  advisable  to  discontinue  their 
use,  although  not  one  member  sustained  the  charges  made  by  t lie  Trader.  Mr.  Zucker  (ex-presi- 
dent), who  was  most  prominent  in  the  matter,  said  : 

* * * * Now,  Mr. Chairman,  I will  say  this,  and  I say  it  deliberately,  if  I did  not  believe 

there  had  been  but  a single  case  of  sickness  resulting  from  the  introduction  of  the  Sinead  system, 
yet  would  I heartily  vote  in  favor  of  the  resolution  I have  introduced.  If  I thought  there  had  been 
only  one  case  of  sickness,  if  I thought  it  would  stop  one  further  case  of  sickness  I would  vote  for  it. 
I would  do  that,  Air.  President,  on  this  principle  : We  are  legislating  on  this  subject  for  the  peo- 
plewe  are  spending  the  money  of  the  people ; the  whole  people , the  city  of  Cleveland,  are  not 
immediately  interested  there  ; are  only  interested  so  far  as  their  children  go  there.  But  when  those 
parents  that  have  pupils  attending  the  school,  and  still  more  these  people  who  have  little  children 
living  in  houses  in  the  immediate  neighborhood,  ore  panic  stricken  on  account  of  this  matter , it  is 
our  manifest  duty  to  do  all  we  can  to  allay  that  panic  and  stop  that  fear  to  prevent  that  sickness.  I 
am  no  physician,  but  I know  this,  that  the  feor  and  dread  of  sickness,  especially  with  a child,  is 
often  more  harmful  than  the  sickness  itself,  nay,  is  the  direct  cause  of  sickness.  I appeal  to  you  as 
physicians  if  I am  not  stating  a fact.  I am  told  that  to-day  there  are  between  two  and  three  hund- 
red absentees  from  that  school,  and  those  who  are  there  are  only  kept  by  sheer  moral  force  ; that 
there  is  a panic  and  demoralization  existing  among  the  pupils  that  do  attend  that  utterly  destroys 
the  efficiency  of  the  entire  school.  I could  stop  right  here  and  say  further  comment  is  unnecessary. 
That  is  enough  in  itself. 

Air.  Chairmen,  I am  told  by  reputable  citizens  living  in  that  neighborhood,  people  whose 
character  I know  is  as  high  as  the  highest  among  us,  that  there  is  a large  amount  of  sickness  in 
that  neighborhood. 

Xow,  I want  to  pause  right  here.  I have  to-night  on  this  floor  noticed  the  public  prints  more 
than  I have  in  many  years.  I do  not  know  of  anything  that  has  ever  come  before  us  that  has  so 
engrossed  public  attention,  that  so  comes  to  the  home  of  every  citizen  as  this.  In  the  Plain  Dealer 
of  to-day  I find  an  interview  with  a physician  of  reputable  standing  (Dr.  Herrick).  That  interview 
is  very  scientific.  It  reminds,  me  Air.  President,  very  much  of  the  sixty-nine  reasons  the  young  at- 
torney gave  his  client  to  prove  that  they  could  not  put  him  in  jail.  After  he  got  through,  the  fellow 
says,  “But  hang  it  all,  I am  in  jail.”  And  Dr.  Herrick’s  interview  reminds  me  of  that  story.  He 
gives  sixty-nine  cogent  reasons  why  it  is  not  the  cause  of  sickness.  But  hang  it  all,  there  is  sick- 
ness. So  much  for  that  interview.  Again,  it  strikes  me  as  very  singular  that  that  scientific  re- 
porter  had  all  his  scientific  questions  so  scientifically  laid  out.  It  appears  to  me,  Air.  Chairman, 
more  as  an  argument  than  as  a scientific  statement.  But  I,  for  one,  in  the  face  of  the  facts  that  a 
body  of  well  known  citizens  have  adopted  a resolution  and  made  certain  requests  and  demands  on 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


us,  as  they  have  a right  to  do,  because  we  are  only  their  servants,  the  servants  of  the  citizens  gener- 
ally— I say,  in  the  face  of  such  action,  I Khali  pay  no  attention  to  this  scientific  discussion,  so  scien- 
tifically laid  down  in  this  newspnijier,  which  newspaper,  in  its  editorial  columns,  has  called  upon  Ida 
Honed  o f Jf duration  to  coot  out  the  evil — tin  Sinead  system — body  and  soul. 

Mr.  Morris  : Mr.  Chairman,  being  a new  member  of  this  Board  of  Education,  realizing 
fully  the  vast  importance  of  this  question,  some  three  weeks  ago  I set  myself  diligently  about  inves- 
tigating, as  best  I might,  the  various  complaints,  going  to  the  scholars  of  the  schools,  who  had  lei t 
the  schools  and  who  were  still  attending,  going  to  the  schools  that  had  the  Sinead  system  and  going 
to  the  schools  that  had  not  the  Sinead  system  in,  but  the  water  system  and  outside  closets,  and  in 
every  available  way  that  I knew  of  or  could  think  of,  tried  to  inform  myself  as  to  the  merits  of  the 
complaints  made.  I coincide  with  Mr.  Zucker’s  views  to  a very  large  extent.  There  is  no  question 
in  my  judgment  but  what  something  must  be  done  at  the  Central  High  School.  What  that  some- 
thiny  is,  it  seems  to  me,  is  a very  wide  question.  I cannot,  under  my  present  understanding  of  the 
facts,  endorse  outside  closets,  as  we  have  them  now. 

I find  that  by  going  to  the  Sterling  Avenue  School,  toe  have  an  odor  there  that  surpasses 
anything  you  could  inan/ine  </s  connected  with  any  one  of  the  Sinead  system  of  closets  in  the 
city.  We  go  to  Brownell  and  we  find  the  same  facts  existing — outsieb  closets  there — that  the 
neighbors  condemn  and  say  that  it  is  unbearable  at  times  for  them  to  stand  the  stench  from  them. 
I read  in  the  Leader  of  last  Saturday  that  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  Walton  Avenue  building  is 
very  bad.  The  closets  are  in  the  basement  of  the  building  and  very  near  several  of  the  recitation 
rooms  ; that  the  stench  is  at  times  unbearable,  but  the  teachers  have  been  unable  to  cause  the  Board 
of  Education  to  take  action  in  the  matter.  This  is  a water  closet  system  school,  to  be  sure,  not  an 
outside  system,  but  a mere  water  closet  system.  But  I find  that  it  is  no  worse  by  going  there 
than  the  system  at  Sterling  or  at  Brownell. 

Now,  while  I endorse  largely  Mr.  Zucker’s  remark,  I want  to  say  that  I had  an  interview  to- 
day with  a gentleman  who  has  been  quoted  as  condemning  this  system,  and  he  told  me  himself  that 
he  could  not  charge  it  to  the  Sinead  system,  although  he  felt  as  though  he  had.  to.  I have  interviewed 
many  citizens.  I went  along  Arlington  street,  and  saw  very  many  people  there.  I found  none,  in 
fact,  who  said  that  lie  had  ever  perceived  a disagreeable  odor  from  the  Central  High  School.  One 
of  this  committee  of  ten  told  me  in  person  that  he  and  his  wife  had  never  smelled  a bad  or  disagree- 
able. smell  from  the  Central  High  School.  A young  lady  of  sixteen, an  attendant  at  the  II  igh  School,  was 
at  our  house  to  dinner  this  last  week, and  told  me  in  person  that  she  left  the  school  because  fa  r mother 
ions  scared.  I asked  her  the  question,  if  she  ever  smelled  disagreeable  odors  in  her  room.  She  said 
no.  I asked  her  why  she  left  school.  She  said  she  left  the  school  because  her  mother  was  scared. 
1 asked  her  if  she  ever  discovered  disagreeable  odors  be  fore  the  Sinead  system  was  put  in.  She  said 
yes,  she  had,  but  she  considered  the  Sinead  system  an  improvement  over  the  old  method. 

Now,  in  view  of  those  facts,  I am  not  ready  to  take  immediate  action  on  removing  this  whole 
system  out  of  the  school.  But  I am  informed  by  men  of  judgment,  men  who  are  versed  in  this 
business,  that  there  is  an  addition  that  we  can  make  for  the  system  we  have  there  which  will  be 
perfectly  sanitary,  and  I offer  it  as  an  amendment  to  a part  of  the  resolution  which  is  now  before 
us.  It  is  an  amendment  to  that  portion  of  the  resolution  pertaining  to  the  construction  of  tempor- 
ary elosets,  and  if  adopted  we  may  then  act  in  the  future  by  putting  up  either  outside  closets  or  any 
method  that  may  be  found  to  be  most  judicious. 

The  clerk  then  read  the  resolution  of  Mr.  Morris. 

“By  Mr.  Morris:  To  amend  the  resolution  of  Mr.  Zucker,  that  Superintendent  of  Build- 
ings Wright  is  instructed  to  immediately  provide  receiving  troughs  under  the  seats  of  the  closets  at 
the  Central  High  School,  which  shall  be  provided  with  running  water  and  connected  with  the  city 
sewers,  thereby  carrying  off  at  once  the  excrement  into  the  city  sewers — without  disturbing  the 


42 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


ventilating  part  of  the  closets,  and  to  strike  out  that  part  of  Mr.  Zucker’s  resolution  that  relates  to 
closets  being  erected  outside  of  the  building.” 

The  Chairman  : It  is  moved  that  the  amendment  just  read  be  adopted,  with  a motion  also 
to  strike  out  a part  of  the  original  resolution.  Are  there  any  remarks  ? 

Mr.  Bemis  : I am  opposed  to  that  amendment.  I do  not  wish  to  vote  in  favor  of  a closet 
system  of  that  kind,  even  temporarily,  in  our  High  School  building  or  in  any  building.  I would 
prefer  seeing  such  closets  outside  the  building.  If  we  are  to  have  temporary  closets  made,  I would 
prefer  that  they  should  be  made  outside  the  building,  as  is  provided  for  in  the  original  resolution, 
and  that  is  the  reason  I shall  vote  against  the  amendment. 

Dr.  Smith  : Mr.  Chairman,  this  is  a question  which  interests  us  all,  and  we  are  desirous  of 
getting  all  the  light  we  can  upon  the  subject.  The  gentleman  who  first  spoke  referred  at  some 
length  to  arguments  of  Dr.  Herrick. 

Now,  I feel  like  rising  to  a defense  of  Dr.  Herrick.  Dr.  Herrick  is  a Professor  of  Hygiene, 
in  the  Medical  Department  of  the  Western  Reserve  University,  and  lias  been  for  years.  He  is  a 
man  who  is  recognized  as  authority  upon  sanitary  matters,  lie  has  given,  in  that  interview  that 
was  published  in  the  Plain  Dealer  this  morning,  his  candid  opinion,  and  Dr.  Herrick  is  here  to- 
night. I should  be  very  much  in  favor  of  asking  him  to  say  a few  words  to  the  Board,  if  he  will. 
It  might,  perhaps,  assist  us  in  knowing  just  what  disposition  to  make  of  this  matter.  I move  that 
Dr.  Herrick  be  asked  to  make  a few  remarks  to  us  on  this  subject. 

The  Chairman  : It  is  moved  and  seconded  that  Dr.  Herrick  be  requested  to  take  the  floor 
and  make  some  remarks  on  the  question. 

Mr.  Zucker : Mr.  Chairman,  I object.  My  objection  is  this:  Dr.  Herrick  has  already 
taken  sides.  Dr.  Herrick’s  opinion  is  already  well  known.  Or,  are  we  to  understand  that  Dr. 
Herrick  has  changed  his  opinion  since  this  morning,  or  will  he  give  us  additional  reasons  why  he 
believes  as  he  does  ? That  is  all  he  can  do.  I would  suggest  that  copies  of  the  Plain  Dealer  be 
procured  and  distributed  for  the  purpose  of  making  known  his  opinion.  Why  not  ask  every  citizen 
who  has  come  here  from  the  vicinity  of  the  High  School  to  come  upon  this  floor  and  give  us  his 
opinion  as  to  whether  the  health  and  lives  of  the  people  in  that  vicinity  are  in  danger  or  not  ? I do 
not  believe  we  want  these  outside  opinions. 

Why,  Mr.  Chairman,  the  same  plan  was  proceeded  with  when  they  first  shoved  this  system 
onto  us.  They  wanted  more  time.  They  deluged  us  with  books  and  pamphlets  in  favor  of  the 
Smead  system. 

Now,  Dr.  Herrick’s  reputation  is  not  going  to  be  hurt  by  my  little  say.  I object  to  a physi- 
cian who  has  taken  one  side  of  a case,  who  has  put  himself-  in  a public  print  in  a lengthy  interview 
in  order  to  help  that  side,  being  allowed  to  come  on  this  floor,  as  an  outside  member  or  a member  of 
the  Twenty-first  District,  to  instruct  us  how  to  vote.  I shall  object  to  hearing  from  the  gentle- 
man. 

The  Chairman  : Is  there  anything  further  on  this  question  ? All  in  favor  of  the  motion 
will  signify  it  by  saying  aye. 

Mr.  Felton  : I desire  to  explain  my  vote.  I wish,  in  the  first  place,  to  say  that  I am  en- 
tirely displeased  with  the  turn  matters  are  taking  here.  The  gentleman  took  the  floor  and  assumed 
an  air  of  candor,  proposes  to  address  his  neighbors  as  honest,  honorable  gentlemen,  having  convic- 
tions like  themselves 

The  Chairman  : The  gentleman  is  out  of  order. 

Mr.  Felton  : I will  endeavor  to  keep  in  order.  I have  no  objection  to  hearing  from  Dr. 
Herrick  in  this  connection,  except  for  the  reason  that  I agree  with  Mr.  Zucker  that  it  is  not  proper 
to  call  in  outside  parties,  and  although  I would  like  to  give  Dr.  Herrick,  or  any  one  else  whose 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


43 


name  has  been  mentioned  by  this  body,  an  opportunity  to  be  heard,  I shall,  for  the  reason  given, 
vote  no. 

Motion  by  Dr.  Smith  lost. 

The  Chairman  : The  question  is  now  on  the  motion  of  Mr.  Morris. 

Mr.  Parmely  : I hope  this  amendment  will  not  prevail.  I was  very  glad  to  hear  from  the 
member  of  the  Thirteenth  the  history  of  the  proceedings  by  which  the  Smead  system  was  put  into 
the  schools.  I was  very  glad  that  he  went  into  no  scientific  discussion  of  the  relative  merits  of  the 
Smead  or  any  other  system  ; and  that  he  read  then  and  we  have  heard  the  remonstrance  of  the  citi- 
zens in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Central  High  School.  We  have  heard  and  know  of  very  many 
cases  of  sickness  up  there  and  that  there  is  a very  general  feeling  against  it,  and  that  this  Smead 
system  has  caused  much  of  this  sickness.  Now,  we  should  respect  the  rights  of  citizens  ; we  should 
respect  the  rights  of  people  who  live  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Central  High  School.  I do  not  think  we 
should  go  into  a discussion  to-night  of  the  relative  merits  of  different  systems.  I hope  that  this 
amendment  will  not  prevail.  I believe  that  it  is  the  best  policy  for  the  Board  to  take  some  steps  to 
immediately  take  the  Smead  system  out  of  the  Central  High  School. 

Mr.  Morris  : Perhaps,  in  further  explanation  of  my  amendment,  I should  add  a word  or 
two  to  what  I have  said.  I may  not  be  fully  understood.  I am  told  by  those  who  claim  to  be  ex- 
pert in  the  matter  that  by  the  method  I suggest  we  obtain  the  same  result  that  we  would  to  have 
the  closets  outside,  and  it  is  done  at  a great  deal  less  expense,  a great  deal  quicker,  and  the  whole 
thiug  can  be  accomplished  in  at  least  two  days,  and  at  the  same  time  accomplish  what  we  desire — 
that  is,  obviate  the  evaporation  into  the  atmosphere,  by  carrying  off  immediately,  without  deleteri- 
ous effects,  through  the  sewer ; this  can  be  done,  and  then  outside  closets,  as  seems  best,  can  be 
adopted  afterwards,  and  these  troughs  can  answer  exactly  the  same  purpose  as  closets  on  the 
outside. 

Dr.  O.  B.  Campbell : Mr.  Chairman,  it  is  a well  known  fact  that  we  have  a panic  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  Central  High  School,  and  as  a practicing  physician  in  the  neighborhood  I know 
something  of  the  facts  in  regard  to  the  sickness.  If  ice  can  allay  the  panic,  ve  will  to  some  extent 
allay  the  sickness.  It  is  a recognized  fact  that  a scare  unnerves  a community  and  individuals  that 
are  prone  to  sickness.  Now,  I favor  this  amendment  for  the  reason  that  it  will  take  much  less  time 
to  put  in  those  troughs,  and  that  action  will  certainly  allay  the  panic  and  excitement,  and  will  not 
stop  our  schools,  and  final  and  conclusive  action  can  be  taken  later. 

N.  B.  Wood  : I believe  we  are  speaking  on  the  amendment.  It  has  nothing  to  do  with  the 
main  question.  As  I understand  the  amendment  I am  entirely  opposed  to  it.  I am  opposed  to 
putting  in  any  troughs,  or  anything  of  the  kind,  as  it  will  be  only  a source  of  greater  annoyance 
than  the  present  system,  that  is  to  say,  if  it  be  actually  a damage.  Any  trough  of  that  kind  will 
clog  up  in  spite  of  anyth.ng  you  can  do,  unless  you  have  the  Cuyahoga  river  going  down  it.  I shall 
oppose  it  entirely. 

James  Wood  : Mr.  Chairman,  this  system  of  troughs  is  called  by  plumbers  the  Mott  system, 
and  it  would  not  be  much  better  than  the  system  now  there.  It  would  take  time.  It  is  a trough 
under  the  closet  which  holds  water.  I suppose  that  is  the  intention  of  Mr.  Morris,  the  water  to  run 
in  there  and  into  the  sewer.  The  janitor  is  supposed  to  pull  the  plug  out  of  the  end  of  the  trough 
and  discharge  it  every  so  often,  and  the  oftener  the  cleaner  it  is  supposed  to  be  kept.  I am  entirely 
opposed  to  that.  I believe,  if  I am  right,  it  has  already  been  taken  out  of  two  or  three  schools  in 
the  city.  It  is  a closet  that  is  used  in  some  cases  out  of  doors  where  there  is  a building  for  it. 
Railroad  companies  use  it  at  stations  ; and  when  it  is  used  entirely  out  of  doors  it  is  unhealthy,  and 
it  would  be  wrong  to  put  it  into  any  of  our  schools  in  the  basement.  I shall  oppose  it. 

Mr.  Guuzenhauser  : I shall  oppose  the  amendment  for  the  same  reason.  We  have  that  very 
system  in  the  Walton  School  and  we  have  taken  it  out  of  the  Rockwell  School  for  the  reason  that  it 
is  a failure. 


44 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


Mr.  Beman : Mr.  Chairman,  a single  thought  or  two.  It  is  suggested  it  will  take  more 
time  and  be  more  expensive  to  have  temporary  closets  outside.  Now,  as  I understand  the  original 
resolution  the  proposition  is  to  build  merely  temporary  closets.  These  will  not  be  built  with  great 
expense.  They  certainly  can  be  built  in  a very  short  time.  Any  mechanic  will  tell  you  that  they 
can  be  built  at  very  slight  expense,  as  they  are  neither  designed  to  be  permanent  nor  ornamental.  I 
would  like  to  inquire  what  time  it  would  take?  Is  the  Superintendent  of  Buildings  present  ? 

Superintendent  of  Buildings  : They  can,  no  doubt,  be  built  in  four  days,  a temporary 
closet  ; it  would  be  very  temporary  though.  It  is  a question  in  my  mind — we  will  have  to  build 
them  under  the  laws  of  the  Board  of  Health. 

Mr.  Zuc-ker  : If  it  is  necessary  we  can  put  on  a double  force  and  build  them.  There  is 
something  more  than  money  at  stake.  I am  surprised  that  a new  member  should  seek  to  dally  with 
a matter  of  this  kind;  it  is  monstrous.  It  wants  to  be  torn  up — rooted  out;  and  if  the  Smead 
people  knew  what  was  best  for  themselves  they  would  voluntarily  tear  out  these  closets.  I am  sur- 
prised that  any  member  should  come  to  their  rescue.  As  has  been  said  by  the  member  from  the 
Third,  this  very  system  they  now  seek  to  have  temporarily  adopted  has  already  been  condemned  by 
us  in  other  buildings.  We  want  the  Smead  system  out  of  the  school,  and  whatever  you  do  after 
that  take  time  to  consider  the  matter  of  the  system  to  be  adopted.  You  are  not  going  to  allay  the 
panic  by  the  plan  that  is  proposed  by  this  amendment.  We  have  already  rooted  out  such  a system 
from  another  school,  finding  it  very  bad.  Even  if  you  have  to  shut  up  the  school  for  four  days  it  is 
better  than  having  any  sickness  ; and  the  plan  that  meets  the  wishes  of  the  patrons  of  the  schools, 
the  teachers,  superintendent  and  all  the  neighborhood  ought  to  be  adopted, and  that  ought  to  be  argu- 
ment enough. 

Mr.  Morris ; Mr.  Chairman,  I want  the  gentleman  from  the  Thirteenth  to  understand  that 
the  in  ir  members  of  this  Board  have  a right  to  their  opinions,  and  my  opinion  is,  that  I can  save,  by 
my  plan,  two  days  time  over  his,  and  if  we  adopt  the  system  proposed  by  the  amendment  we  can 
allay  this  panic*  two  days  quicker  than  by  his  plan.  If  we  adopt  this  plan  I will  guarantee  that 
there  shall  not  be  one  single  bit  of  odor  connected  with  the  closets  as  long  as  the  air  is  drawn  up 
through  those  stacks,  and  if  it  is  run  off  into  the  sewer  there  could  not  be  anything  deleterious  pass 
into  the  atmosphere  to  annoy  or  injure  the  people  in  the  neighborhood,  and  it  will  save  time  over 
the  other  plan  of  outside  closets. 

The  Chairman  : Are  there  any  other  remarks  ? 

Mr.  Wilbur:  It  seems  very  strange  that  at  the  Central  High  School  we  have  these  com- 
plaints. There  are  five  or  six  other  schools  in  the  city  where  we  have  the  Smead  system  and  we 
hear  no  complaints  from  them.  On  the  contrary  we  hear  from  people  living  in  the  vicinity  of  these 
schools  that  it  is  one  of  the  best  systems  that  was  ever  put  into  any  school  house.  I want  to  say 
that  before  this  system  was  adopted  at  all  by  the  city  board  that  it  was  put  into  the  West  Cleveland 
School,  on  Cherry  street.  That  school  is  not  far  from  where  I live.  A member  of  the  West 
Cleveland  Board,  who  is  a steam  titter,  and  who  goes  around  to  different  cities  to  put  in  steam  ap- 
paratus in  big  hotels  and  school  houses,  recommended  that  system.  He  took  me  out  there  and 
showed  it  to  me  when  they  were  putting  it  in.  I followed  it  up  pretty  thoroughly  at  that  time.  I 
believed  that  it  was  the  best  system  ever  introduced,  and  I have  had  no  occasion  since  then  to 
change  my  mind.  I think  those  people  who  live  out  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Central  High  School  are 
mistaken ; that  they  have  not  investigated  enough.  I believe  the  matter  ought  to  be  put  into  the 
hands  of  competent  doctors  and  chemists  to  investigate  and  report  back  to  this  board.  I think  we 
can  make  mistakes  by  throwing  out  that  system  without  taking  necessary  precautions  before  we 
do  it. 

Mr.  Felton  : Mr.  Chairman,  I did  not  intend  to  say  anything  on  this  amendment.  I am  not 
in  favor  of  it  for  the  simple  reason  that  I do  not  quite  agree  with  the  mover  of  the  amendment,  that 
it  will  allay  the  excitement  in  that  region.  I am  fully  convinced  that  the  people  in  that  vicinity  are 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


45 


so  thoroughly  aroused,  and  so  earnest  in  their  belief — and  T have  not  a shadow  of  doubt  as  to  their 
sincerity — that  I believe  that  nothing  will  satisfy  them  but  the  removal  of  those  closets  ultimately. 
I should  be  opposed  to  any  temporizing  with  the  present  closet.  At  the  proper  time  I wish  to  say 
something  on  the  main  question.  I may  say  at  this  time,  however,  somewhat  in  the  line  of  thought 
of  the  gentleman  just  upon  the  door,  while  I am  not  an  advocate  of  this  system,  and  do  not  care  a 
continental  whether  it  goes  up  or  goes  down,  I am  happy  to  be  able  to  say,  and  I presume  the  gen- 
tleman who  is  the  inventor  of  the  patent  is  equally  happy  to  say  he  does  not  know  me,  I never 
happened  to  meet  him  ; I never  received  an  introduction,  as  I know  of,  to  himself  or  any  of  his 
agents.  I claim  nothing  for  my  integrity.  I do  hope  I have  been  laboring  with  this  subject  from 
beginning  to  end  with  an  honest  purpose  ; and  I believe  this  is  true  of  every  member  of  the  old 
board ; and  I now  believe  that  every  member  of  the  new  board,  and  I agree  with  my  friend  recently 
upon  the  floor  that  the  new  members  of  this  board  are  about  the  size  of  the  old  men,  about  as  com- 
petent to  speak  and  defend  themselves  and  their  cause. 

I did  take  some  pains,  though  in  the  first  place  incidentally,  to  learn  in  reference  to  this 
W est  Cleveland  High  School,  to  which  Mr.  Wilbur  refers,  fully  two  years  before  I was  called  upon — 
without  any  expectation  of  ever  being  called  upon — to  act  on  this  board  on  that  question.  I asked 
a friend  of  mine,  instrumental  in  procuring  the  Smead  system  for  that  building,  how  he  liked  it.  I 
knew  nothing  of  it.  He  spoke  in  high  praise  of  it.  He  said  it  worked  admirably.  He  invited  me 
to  come  out  and  see  it.  I never  did. 

On  the  strength  of  that  testimony,  given  at  that  time,  under  such  circumstances,  when  ulti- 
mately we  came  to  vote  here — I will  say  with  all  deference  to  the  gentlemen  who  were  upon  the 
floor  upon  both  sides  I was  not  influenced  one  iota — I voted  upon  the  strengh  of  the  information  I 
obtained  under  such  circumstances  as  could  leave  with  me  no  doubt  of  its  sincerity.  I am  aware  of 
the  fact — we  are  all  aware  of  the  fact — that  there  is  a panic  in  the  region  of  this  High  School  ; for 
a cause  or  causeless  is  not  so  much  a question  for  us  now  to  decide.  I am  satisfied  that  we  cannot 
allay  that  panic  or  excitement  there  except  by  removing  the  cause.  These  gentlemen  who  have  ex- 
pressed themselves  are  sincere.  I know  they  mean  what  they  say.  They  sincerely  feel  and  believe 
their  families  and  themselves  have  been  poisoned,  and  they  are  being  poisoned,  by  reason  of  those 
surroundings — of  the  environment  of  the  gases  from  that  High  School  building. 

I do  not  understand  from  the  resolution  or  from  the  amendment  that  there  is  any  attack  on 
the  one  hand  or  that  there  is  necessity  of  any  defense  on  the  other — any  attack  of  the  Smead  sys- 
tem as  such,  or  any  defense  of  it.  I do  not  stand  here  to  either  defend  or  assail.  A little  later  I 
may  have  something  to  say  on  the  main  question.  I think  the  system  ought  to  be  removed  for  the 
time  being,  because  the  people  in  that  vicinity  desire  it,  right  or  icrong  in  their  convictions.  I feel 
that  we  must  allay  that  panic. 

Mr.  Stewart : Mr.  Chairman,  I was  not  aware  that  the  plan  proposed  by  the  substitute  had 
ever  been  experimented  upon  in  any  other  building  : but  if  it  has  been  tried  elsewhere  and  failed, 
there  is  no  use  of  our  experimenting  any  further  with  it.  I think  we  are  fully  satisfied,  from  all 
the  information  we  can  gather  from  the  papers  and  from  citizens,  that  there  is  an  extended  disquiet 
in  the  neighborhood  of  that  High  School,  not  only  among  the  citizens,  but  among  the  pupils.  We 
are  expected  to  do  something  for  the  people  who  are  apprehensive  for  their  lives,  citizens  and  pupils, 
and  I see  nothing  in  this  amendment  that  would  restore  quiet,  or  help  to  restore  the  people  to  their 
usual  routine  of  life,  and  I think  it  ought  not  to  be  adopted,  but  that  the  original  resolution  is  the 
proper  one  for  us  to  adopt  to-night. 

Mr.  Wilbur : I am  informed  that  Mr.  Smead  is  in  the  room,  and  as  he  is  directly  interested 
I think  it  would  be  no  more  than  fair  justice  and  right  that  he  be  heard.  I will  therefore  move  that 
he  be  permitted  to  take  the  floor  five  or  ten  minutes  to  address  the  board. 

Mr.  Z ucker : Mr.  Chairman,  I object.  We  are  not  now  seeking  to  introduce  a system  of 
closets  or  of  heating  in  a new  school  building.  We  all  know  about  the  Smead  system.  As  the 


46 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


member  from  the  Fifteenth  ha*  said,  we  are  all  acquainted  with  it,  and  most  believe  that , for  cer- 
tain buildings , it  is  a good  thing.  We  have  had  all  the  explanation  on  the  High  School  subject 
that  we  need.  I thought  that  I had  treated  the  inventor  of  this  system  perfectly  fair  in  reading  his 
long  communication.  We  have  got  his  ideas.  The  history  explains  itself.  We  know  what  has 
happened  out  there  even  better  than  he.  He  is  not  a citizen.  What  is  he  going  to  tell  us.  On  the 
same  principle  and  for  the  same  reason  that  I object  to  hearing  from  a physician  I object  to  hearing 
from  the  inventor.  We  are  men.  We  have  understanding  enough  and  know  enough  of  what  has 
happened  to  judge  of  these  things  ourselves,  without  calling  in  outside  opinions. 

Mr.  Wilbur:  Mr.  Chairman,  my  object  in  making  that  motion  is  this  : To  take  out  those 
closets  and  throw  them  outside  is  to  injure  Mr.  Sinead’s  business  ; practically  condemns  that  system 
in  this  city.  That  will  be  carried  to  other  cities  and  hurt  the  business,  whether  it  is  right  or  wrong 
it  matters  not.  As  I said  before,  it  is  nothing  more  than  just  that  lie  be  given  a chance  to  stand  up 
before  this  board  and  explain  that  system,  so  that  we  will  understand  it.  He  can  explain  it  better, 
perhaps,  than  anybody  else.  I hope  the  motion  will  prevail. 

Mr.  Morris  : Mr.  Chairman,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  we  are  not  dealing  with  the  adoption  of 
any  system,  it  seems  to  me  entirely  out  of  place  to  bring  into  this  board  any  one  to  defend  it  or 
speak  against  it.  I certainly  hope  this  motion  will  not  prevail. 

Dr.  Smith  : It  seems  to  me  it  cannot  do  any  harm  to  hear  from  Mr.  Smead.  We  are  the 
party  of  the  one  part  and  Mr.  Smead  is  the  party  of  the  other  part  in  this  matter.  We  are  both 
interested,  lie  is  as  much  interested  as  we  are.  I do  not  see  that  it  is  going  to  hurt  us  if  we  get  a 
little  more  light  on  the  subject.  1 am  sure  1 do  not  feel  like  cutting  off  one  side  entirely,  and  not 
allow  anybody  to  say  anything  except  upon  the  side  that  I believe.  1 am  sure  I,  for  one,  would  be 
very  glad  to  hear  what  Mr.  Sinead  has  to  say. 

Mr.  O.  B.  Campbell  : Mr.  Chairman,  I should  like  to  hear  Mr.  Smead  talk  to  us.  lie  would 
be  able  to  give  us  some  ideas  and  suggestions.  I do  not  think  it  is  fair  to  shut  him  out  and  not 
allow  him  to  say  a word.  I voted  against  Dr.  Herrick  speaking  here  because  he  had  already  given 
us  his  idea — what  he  thought.  I don’t  think  it  is  right  to  shut  out  Mr.  Smead. 

The  motion  to  permit  Mr.  Smead  to  address  the  board  was  lost.  The  motion  of  Mr.  Morris 
was  also  lost. 

The  Chairman  : The  question  is  now  on  the  adoption  of  the  original  resolutions  of  Mr. 
Zueker. 

Dr.  Smith  : Mr.  Chairman,  I desire  to  say  a few  words  on  this  question,  inasmuch  as  the 
history  that  has  been  read  by  the  gentleman  from  the  Thirteenth  seems  to  have  pointed  very  em- 
phatically, in  several  instances,  to  me  as  having  been  instrumental,  or  one  of  the  instruments,  in 
introducing  this  system  here.  By  way  of  preface  I would  like  to  g<>  a little  further  back  than  the 
gentleman  did  and  give  some  of  the  reasons  why  I was  in  favor  of  introducing  this  system,  which  I 
think  may  be  interesting  to  some  members  of  the  board. 

I have  now  been  a member  of  the  board  some  thirteen  or  fourteen  years,  and  there  has  always 
been  one  question  which  has  given  us  a great  deal  of  trouble,  and  that  is  the  question  of 
sewerage  connections  with  our  schools,  our  closets  and  our  urinals  ; our  closets  and  our  urinals  have 
given  us  the  greatest  amount  of  trouble.  We  have  had  complaints  from  school  building  after  school 
building  because  they  were  not  in  satisfactory  condition.  We  have  continuously  used  disinfectants, 
changed  traps  and  changed  various  things  in  the  hope  of  relieving  it.  When  my  attention  was  first 
called  to  this  system  it  struck  me  as  being  different  from  anything  we  had  before  and  it  might  be 
possibly  a solution  at  least  in  part,  or  altogether,  of  the  difficulty  under  which  we  had  labored  for 
so  many  years.  Therefore  I felt  the  more  interested  in  it.  I took  pains  to  investigate  it  in  other 
cities.  I visited  it  at  Canton,  and  took  pains  not  only  myself  to  visit  it,  but  I invited  the  medical 
society  which  was  present  at  Canton  at  the  time — the  Northern  and  Central  Ohio  Medical  Associa- 
tion— to  go  down  to  one  of  the  High  Schools  there  and  other  schools  in  the  city  and  examine  into 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


47 


this  system.  We  went  clown  and  looked  at  this  system  of  dry  closets  and  this  system  of  heating 
and  ventilating.  The  system  of  dry  closets  is  the  only  one  under  discussion  to-night.  It  was  the 
unanimous  opinion  of  the  physicians  that  went  down  there  that  the  system  was  an  improvement 
upon  anything  which  we  had  had.  Not  only  that,  Imt  I examined  it  in  other  cities — in  Oberlin,  in 
Toledo — and  became  thoroughly  convinced  in  my  own  mind  that  it  was  a good  thing.  I was  not 
satisfied  then,  and  I asked  Mr.  Sinead  if  he  would  be  kind  enough  to  give  me  a list  of  all  the  cities 
in  Ohio  in  which  the  system  was  in  use,  and  he  gave  me  a list.  1 then  looked  over  my  medical 
directory  of  the  United  States  to  see  if  I knew  a physician  in  the  cities  in  which  this  system  was  in 
use  in  which  I had  confidence,  and  I made  a list  of  the  physicians  in  the  cities  in  which  this  system 
was  in  use,  and  I then  directed  to  them  a personal  letter,  asking  them  their  opinion  of  the  system. 
With  one  single  exception,  and  that  in  Akron,  where  the  system  had  been  introduced  in  an  old 
building,  and  where  they  said  it  did  not  seem  to  work — with  that  single  exception,  I got  no  unfavor- 
able answer. 

It  is  well  known  that  a gentleman  who  was  connuected  with  the  board  at  the  time,  who  is  not 
now  a member  of  the  board,  who  was  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  question,  wrote  to  various  parties 
expecting  to  get  facts  upon  the  other  ride — upon  hi s side — and  the  letters  were  so  wumitnously  on  the 
side  opposite  to  that  which  he  was  on  that  he  never  even  presented  the  letters  here  to  the  hoard,. 

Now,  I wrote  to  such  men  as  Dr.  Weaver,  of  Dayton  ; Dr.  Baldwin,  of  Columbus;  Dr. 
Seltgman,  of  Defiance;  Dr.  Phillips,  of  Canton;  Dr.  Hubbard,  of  Ashtabula;  Dr.  Garver,  of 
Sandusky— I cannot  recall  all  of  them.  Now,  all  of  the  gentlemen  to  whom  I wrote — Dr.  Miller,  of 
Massillon  ; Dr.  , member  of  the  Board  of  Health  at  Bellefontaine,  and  so  on  from  the  Presi- 

dent of  the  Ohio  State  Board  of  Health,  Dr.  T.  Clark  Miller,  who  says,  “ I tell  you,  Doctor,  that 
this  system  is  a new  sun  in  sanitary  science.”  From  the  evidence  which  I had  I could  not  help  be- 
lieving this  system  was  all  right,  and  the  system  was  introduced  here,  and  I believe,  except  as  far  as 
the  Central  High  School  is  concerned,  not  a single  member  is  in  doubt  as  to  its  efficiency  and  as  to 
its  value. 

Now,  as  to  some  of  the  arguments  which  have  been  used  and  reasons  adduced  that  this  system 
should  come  out  of  the  Central  High  School.  The  principal  one  seems  to  be  that  there  is  a panic  in 
the  Central  High  School.  I will  admit  that,  but  l tell  you,  gentlemen,  that  this  panic  is  not  alto- 
gether a.  true  panic  if  is  a panic  which  has  been  influenced  very  largely  by  some  things  which,  are 
not  altogether  true.  It  is  well  known  to  members  of  this  board  that  the  death  of  one  gentleman  has 
been  attributed  to  this  system.  He  died  after  having  made  a four  weeks’  trip  to  Lake  Superior, 
coming  home  in  the  middle  of  the  vacation,  befort  the  Smead  system  nuts  introduced  into  the  High 
School.  He  came  home  and  he  came  down  town  in  the  forenoon.  I met  him  in  the  morning  about 
9 o’clock.  He  appeared  to  be  perfectly  well.  I refer  to  Mr.  Foote.  He  appeared  to  be  perfectly 
well  in  the  morning;  he  went  home  and  ate  a very  hearty  dinner,  and  before  evening  he  was  dead. 
Now,  it  has  been  attempted  to  attribute  that  death  to  this  system.  That  was  during  the  vacation, 
after  a four  weeks  trip  to  Lake  Superior,  and  before  the  system  was  introduced  into  the  High  School. 
That  is  one  argument  that  has  been  used. 

Another  thing  that  has  been  said  is  that  on  last  Tuesday  morning,  Dr.  Thayer  had  taken  his 
son  out  of  the  High  School  on  account  of  the  dangerous  effects  of  the  Smead  system  and  would  not 
allow  him  to  go  to  school  longer  at  the  High  School,  when  the  fact  was  that  on  Monday,  the  day 
before  this  article  appeared  in  the  paper.  Dr.  Thayer's  son  was  in  the  High  Scdiool,  and  on  Wednes- 
day, the  day  after,  he  was  in  the  High  School  and  has  been  there  every  day  since,  so  far  as  I know, 
unless  he  has  not  been  there  to-day.  Now,  upon  such  evidence  as  this,  if  this  be  the  method  of 
argument  in  regard  to  this  system,  how  could  it  be  that  there  would  not  be  a panic  created  ? Now 
that  was  not  fair.  I will  leave  it  to  any  gentleman  to  sa_\  that  it  was  fair  to  say  that  Dr.  Thayer’s 
son  was  absent  on  account  of  the  danger  from  this  system,  when  the  fact  is,  that  the  day  before 
Tuesday  he  was  in  school,  and  Tuesday  was  a vacation  day,  a national  holiday — of  course  he  was 


48 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


away  that  day — but  the  next  day  he  was  in  school,  and  has  been  there  ever  since,  and  was  not  taken 
out  on  that  account.  Now,  I have  this  directly  from  his  brother  ; he  would  know  ; so  that  I know 
whereof  I speak. 

I will  admit  that  there  has  been  a panic  worked  up  at  the  Central  High  School,  and  there  are 
a great  many  honest  people  who  believe  that  this  is  a very  dangerous  system.  Now,  I cannot  agree 
with  them,  because,  from  my  standpoint,  I do  not  see  where  the  danger  lies.  Now,  if  it  is  danger- 
ous, then  every  dwelling  house  in  the  city  is  a dangerous  thing  to  the  neighbors,  because  the  Cleve- 
land Board  of  Health  require  that,  connected  with  every  water  closet,  there  shall  be  a communica- 
tion opening  into  the  open  air  from  above  the  building.  Now,  then,  every  man  who  puts  a water 
closet  into  his  house  and  makes  use  of  this  pipe  to  carry  otf  the  odors,  etc.,  from  the  closet  to  the 
top  of  the  house,  according  to  this  principle,  is  infecting  his  neighbors. 

Now,  this  question  of  the  germ  theory  is  a pretty  hard  one  to  answer  ; it  is  a pretty  hard  one 
to  discuss,  because  there  is  so  much  in  it  people  do  not  understand.  Why  is  it  that  ten  men  who 
come  in  contact  with  the  discharges  from  typhoid  fever  are  not  affected  at  all  by  it,  whereas  one  is? 
Now,  it  is  not  certainly  because  they  do  not  all  breathe  the  same  germs  ; but  for  some  reason  they 
do  not  come  in  contact  with  the  right  kind  of  soil  which  causes  them  to  develope. 

Now,  here,  in  this  closet  system,  we  have  this  fcecal  matter  deposited  at  the  bottom  of  the  vault. 
In  the  course  of  a few  hours  it  becomes  dried  over  and  fermentation  ceases.  This  matter  in  the 
course  of  a very  short  time  is  entirely  dry.  Now,  I will  admit  there  may  be  odors ; there  must  be 
odors  in  the  air  passing  over  this,  going  out  in  the  stack.  Nobody  will  deny  it  ; but  that  these 
odors  will  be  deleterious  would  be  a very  difficult  matter  to  prove.  Whether  they  are  or  are  not  would 
require  the  most  careful  examination  by  scientific  men  with  the  microscope  to  determine  it.  Now, 
there  are  scientific  men  who  believe  that  a germ  will  only  live  six  hours  if  it  is  dried  ; that,  after  six 
hours,  if  the  germ  is  dried,  that  it  will  not  take  root  in  the  system,  and  will  not  produce  disease. 
Others  believe  that  the  typhoid  fever  germ,  after  a certain  time,  will  not  take  root,  and  that  it  must 
require  moisture  in  order  to  effectuate  and  produce  its  poisonous  effect.  Now,  why  it  is  that  in  some 
instances  the  germ  takes  effect  and  in  some  does  not,  is  beyond  our  comprehension.  We  do  not 
understand  that,  and  probably  never  will.  If  we  were  as  susceptible  to  germs  as  some  people  think 
we  are,  we  would  all  have  been  dead  years  and  years  ago. 

By  taking  out  the  Smead  system  I feel  as  if  we  were  taking  out  the  very  best  thing  which  we 
have  got  in  the  city  foi  something  else.  Now,  I do  not  know  but  that  is  the  best  thing  to  do  ; 
I do  not  know  but  these  gentlemen  are  so  earnest  in  the  matter — and  I believe  they  are  honest,  be- 
cause many  of  them  are  personal  friends  of  mine,  not  but  I have  great  confidence,  as  far  as  their 
belief  and  honesty  is  concerned.  I know  that  these  gentlemen  are  not  trying  to  manufacture  this 
feeling  themselves,  but  they  have  come  to  believe  that  this  is  a very  deleterious  system,  a very  in- 
jurious system  and  do  a great  deal  of  harm  ; but  I think  they  are  mistaken,  and  I think  if  they 
study  the  matter  carefully  for  day  in  and  day  out,  as  these  members  of  the  board  have,  who  have 
been  cognizant  of  this  system  from  the  time  of  its  introduction  here,  they  will  sooner  or  later 
agree  with  us. 

We  know  also  that  two  years  ago,  in  Detroit,  there  was  a greater  hurrah  in  regard  to  the 
Smead  system  than  there  has  been  in  Cleveland.  Mr.  Smead  was  pictured  as  a thousand-headed — 
devil — if  I have  the  right  word,  with  a thousand  arms  reaching  out  and  taking  the  school  children 
and  crushing  them  to  death  by  his  poisonous  gases.  What  has  been  the  result  of  that  thing?  It  has 
been  lived  down,  and  not  only  lived  down,  but  every  school  building  that  has  been  built  in  that  city 
since  has  had  the  Smead  system  introduced  into  it ; a medical  college  and  hospital  have  adopted  it. 
Now,  if  it  was  as  bad  as  it  was  pictured  to  be  two  years  ago  in  Detroit,  what  would  have  been  the 
result?  Last  week  even  there  were  new  ones  put  in.  How  was  it  in  Columbus,  in  Washington  ? 
One  was  put  in,  then  another  and  another.  So  it  has  been  in  Cleveland,  I believe  generally,  ex- 
cept so  far  as  the  Central  High  School  is  concerned.  Those  people  who  live  around  the  Central 


ISAAC  D.  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


49 


High  School  are  so  opposed  to  it  that  perhaps  we  cannot  convince  them  that  it  is  best  for  them,  hut 
I think  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  see  their  mistake.  I think  if  we  introduce  the  water  system 
they  will  be  much  more  annoyed  than  they  are  at  present. 

And  besides,  in  Cleveland,  it  is  a question  where  all  the  odors  come  from.  I have  wondered 
myself  where  thev  come  from.  We  have  the  fertilizing  works,  coal  oil  works,  spent  acid  works, 
crucible  steel  works,  all  producing  disagreeable  odors.  We  cannot  lay  all  these  odors  to  this.  I 
have  talked  with  the  teachers  of  the  High  School  and  they  have  told  me  that  they  have  smelled  this 
old  spent  acid  smell  in  the  school  for  the  last  ten  or  fifteen  years  ; it  was  not  the  closets  at  all.  I 
have  two  nieces  going  to  the  Central  High  School  ; they  have  only  been  in  it  since  the  first  of  Feb- 
ruary, and  they  both  tell  me  that  they  have  not  once  smelled,  either  in  the  basement  or  any  other 
of  the  rooms,  any  smell  which  they  could  attribute  to  the  closets.  Now,  there  have  been  smells 
there  ; we  will  admit  that,  but  I think  these  gentlemen  are  mistaken  in  charging  them  to  the  closets  ; 
and  I believe  that  the  time  will  come  when  they  will  see  their  mistake,  and  when  they  will  he  ylad 
to  welcome  hark  the  Smead  system  in  the  High  School.  I believe  if  we  put  it  out  we  put  out  the  eery 
best  system  which  we  have  in  the  city. 

I have  prepared  a resolution  which  I will  introduce  and,  with  the  consent  of  the  chair  I will 
read  it : That  further  action  on  this  subject  be  postponed  until  next  Monday  evening  ; and  that 
this  board  select  a committee  of  seven  physicians  who  shall  be  asked  to  examine  the  Smead  closets 
in  the  High  School  and  report  to  this  board  at  an  adjourned  meeting  of  this  board,  to  lie  held  next 
Monday  evening,  their  findings  in  regard  to  the  Smead  closets,  as  to  its  working,  influence  upon 
the  health  of  both  pupils  and  citizens  and  any  other  questions  which  may  seem  to  them  important. 

Now,  it  seems  to  me  if  we  postpone  the  consideration  of  this  matter  until  next  Monday 
night,  and  then  appoint  a committee,  it  will  be  the  best  thing  to  do. 

The  Chairman  : That  will  have  to  be  introduced  as  a substitute. 

Mr.  Smith  : I move  this  as  a substitute  for  all  that  has  gone  before. 

Mr.  Zucker  : Mr.  Chairman,  I rise  to  a point  of  order.  It  is  not  a substitute  ; it  does  not 
amend,  and  it  groups  two  distinct  matters  together,  and  one  is  new  matter. 

The  Chairman  : The  Chair  rules  that  the  motion  is  strictly  in  order  and  entertains  the 
motion. 

Mr.  Zucker  : I do  not  wish  to  take  issue  with  the  Chairman  on  a parliamentary  question 
and  for  that  reason  I do  not  appeal,  but  I think  if  he  will  consider  it  carefully  he  will  see  that  my 
point  is  correct.  I am  opposed  to  postponement ; I am  opposed  to  it  for  the  reason  I stated  before. 
It  is  dallying  with  the  measure.  I insist  that  we  take  action  to-night.  We  need  no  postponement. 
I do  not  care  for  the  opinion  of  seven  interested  physicians.  I haven’t  the  least  doubt  if  the  gen- 
tlemen can  get  seven  physicians  to  agree  on  the  one  side  I can  get  seven  to  agree  on  the  other. 
Physicians  disagree.  That  is  proverbial.  That  is  not  going  to  help  us.  We  want  to  recognize 
this:  “It  is  not  a theory,  but  a condition  that  confronts  us.”  Shall  these  children  go  on  dying, 
this  sickness  go  on  increasing,  this  panic  go  on  increasing,  until  the  schools  are  closed  and  you  de- 
moralize your  entire  system.  Let  us  give  our  decision  to-night  without  postponement. 

Mr.  Melickar  : Mr.  Chairman,  I move  the  previous  question. 

The  motion  was  seconded  and  lost. 

Dr.  Smith  : Mr.  Chairman,  it  has  been  customary  for  this  board  for  years  past,  wherever 
there  were  whereases  that  reflected  upon  particular  individuals  connected  with  the  resolution,  to 
strike  them  out ; and  I move  those  whereases  be  stricken  out.  I do  not  believe  any  member  of  this 
board  wishes  to  do  Mr.  Smead  an  unkindness  in  the  removal  of  these  closets.  I am  sure  while 
members  of  the  board  are  in  favor  of  taking  them  out  of  the  Central  High  School,  they  are  not  in 
favor  of  taking  them  out  anywhere  else.  I move  the  whereases  be  stricken  out. 

The  motion  was  adopted. 


50 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


Mr.  Morris  : I move  the  words  “ other  than  said  Smead  system  ” be  stricken  out  of  Mr. 
Zucker’s  resolution. 

The  motion  was  seconded. 

The  Chairman:  You  have  heard  the  motion,  that  the  words  “other  than  said  Smead  sys- 
tem ” be  stricken  out.  Are  there  any  remarks  ? 

Mr.  Zucker  : I trust  none  of  the  members,  Mr.  Chairman,  will  allow  himself  to  be  caught 
in  this  trap.  This  is  the  whole  light  over  again.  If  we  are  going  to  denounce  the  Smead  system 
let  us  say  so.  The  resolution  says  the  committee  shall  recommend  some  other  system.  It  simply 
says  we  don’t  want  that  system.  Those  members  who  voted  to  strike  out  the  whereases  can  now 
see  the  animus  of  that  motion.  If  this  motion  is  carried,  then  Mr.  Smead  can  work  with  this  com- 
mittee to  get  them  to  bring  in  a favorable  report.  If  you  adopt  the  resolution  as  introduced,  the 
committee  will  have  no  authority  to  consider  the  Smead  system. 

The  motion  by  Mr.  Morris  was  lost,  and  the  original  resolutions  by  Mr.  Zucker  were 
adopted. 

Motion  by  Mr.  Zucker  to  reconsider  vote  adopting  his  resolutions  lost. 


THE  DRY  CLOSETS  IX  T1IE  CENTRAL  111  Oil  SCHOOL  BUILDING. 

There  has  been  great  excitement  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Central  High  School  building, 
created  by  sens*  ft  iomil  art  hie#  published  in  one  of  the  leading  daily  papers  of  thin  city. 

This  building  was  erected  in  l«7(i.  Architecturally  it  is  quite  satisfactory.  The  recitation 
rooms  are  large  and  well  lighted,  but  the  ventilation  of  the  building  has  always  been  unsat- 
isfactory. For  a number  of  years  complaints  were  made  of  the  plumbing,  and  foul  odors  were 
constantly  finding  their  way  into  the  recitation  rooms  from  the  water  closets  in  the  basement. 

In  lssT  the  health  officer.  Dr.  Ashmun,  sent  a communication  to  the  Hoard  of  Education, 
stating  that  the  Central  High  School  building  was  in  an  unsanitary  condition,  and  that  the  water 
' losets  must  be  removed  from  the  building  and  some  other  system  introduced.  Tlie  Board  of  Edu- 
cation finally  decided  to  introduce  the  “Smead”  system  of  dry  closets,  which  were  put  in  the 
building  in  1KKK.  Soon  afterwards  school  opened  and  it  was  found  the  odors  were  more  noxious 
than  ever.  Mr.  Smead  was  given  a few  days  to  remedy  the  matter  or  the  closets  were  to  be  taken 
out.  It  was  found  that  the  old  ventilating  stacks,  which  were  already  in  the  building  and  were 
made  use  of,  were  not  high  enough,  and  that  when  the  wind  blew  in  certain  directions  it  curled 
down  over  the  roof,  thus  creating  a reverse  current  into  the  building.  This  was  soon  remedied  by 
raising  the  stacks  twenty  feet  higher.  Since  th is  time  no  complaints  have  come  from  the  school 
room  of  hud  odor s,  although  there  has  been  the  usual  amount  of  headache  due  to  imperf  ect  ventila- 
tion. 

But  the  troubles  of  .Mr.  Smead  arose  this  time,  not  from  within,  but  from  without.  In  order 
to  make  this  clear,  it  will  be  necessary  to  go  back  to  the  first  introduction  of  the  dry  closets  into 
the  building.  At  that  time  a clipping  from  some  obscure  so-called  health  journal,  published  by  a 
Seven-day  Adventists’  Association  up  in  the  wilds  of  Michigan,  calling  attention  to  the  dangers  of 
the  “Smead”  system  of  disseminating  diseased  germs  from  the  top  of  the  stacks,  together  with  a 
petition  objecting  to  the  introduction  of  the  dry  closets,  was  industriously  circulated  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  High  School  building  and  signed  by  many  residents  of  that  locality.  But  the 
Board  of  Education,  which  contains  several  physicians,  after  carefully  investigating  the  matter, 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  this  danger  was  purely  imaginary,  and  proceeded  to  put  in  the  closets. 
The  present  trouble  is  a continuation  of  the  old  fight.  When  no  further  objections  could  be  made 
to  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  closets,  attacks  were  made  upon  the  system  as  causing  sickness  in 
the  community,  due  to  the  noxious  gases  escaping  from  the  ventilating  shaft.  Reporters  were  in- 


ISAAC  I).  SMEAD  & CO.,  TOLEDO,  OHIO. 


51 

dustriously  sent  from  house  to  house,  and  every  case  of  sickness,  from  attacks  of  measles  to 
whooping  cough,  was  attributed  to  the  “ Smead  ” system.  Professor  Foote,  who  died  before  the 
system  was  introduced,  was  enumerated  among  the  victims  ; and  the  recent  death  of  the  principal, 
Professor  Campbell,  who  died  of  apoplexy,  has  proven  an  unanswerable  argument  in  newspaper 
circles  as  to  the  dangers  of  the  system.  Indignation  meetings  were  held  and  petitions  presented  to 
the  Board  of  Education  until  they  were  finally,  in  deference  to  public  opinion,  compelled  to  order 
the  closets  out,  and  temporary  ones  were  erected  outside  of  the  building. 

The  average  attendance  of  pupils  at  the  High  School  has  been  slightly  higher  since  the  in- 
troduction of  the  dry  closets  than  during  the  previous  four  years.  The  death  rate,  as  revealed  by 
statistics  in  the  health  office,  is  considerably  less  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  High  School  than  the 
average  for  the  entire  city,  The  Smead  system  is  in  full  operation  in  many  other  school  buildings 
in  parts  of  the  city  much  more  densely  populated  than  in  the  neighborhood  of  this  building  ; and 
no  complaints  have  been  made  from  the  residents  about  the  dissemination  of  noxious  odors  from 
the  ventilating  stacks. 

Since  the  temporary  closets  have  been  erected,  and  foul  odors  are  smelt  in  reality,  the  health 
office  has  been  besieged  by  the  same  residents  of  this  locality,  and  the  health  officer  requested  to 
call  a meeting  of  the  representative  physicians  of  the  city  to  investigate  the  matter.  At  the  second 
meeting  of  the  physicians,  the  following  resolution  was  adopted,  by  a vote  of  thirteen  in  favor  and 
three  against  the  resolution  : 

“That  the  Smead  dry  closet  system,  as  used  in  the  Central  High  School  of  this  city,  is  the 
best  method  known  to  us  ; 

That  a return  to  the  water-carriage  system  would  be  to  increase,  rather  than  lessen,  the  dan- 
gers of  disease-breeding  in  the  building  and  neighborhood  ; 

The  improved  ventilation  of  the  Central  High  School  building  is  imperatively  demanded  and 
would,  in  our  opinion,  remove  most  if  not  all  the  cause  for  complaint.” 

From  a scientific  standpoint,  the  following  objections  have  been  urged  against  the  system  : 
First,  The  possibility  of  back  draughts.  Second,  The  possibility  of  disseminating  diseased  germs 
from  the  top  of  the  stack.  Third,  The  improper  ventilation  of  the  building  during  the  summer 
months,  when  the  furnace  is  not  in  operation,  and  the  doors  and  windows  open.  If  any  of  these 
objections  are  proven  to  be  valid  by  scientific  experiments  and  investigations,  the  system  could  very 
easily  be  modified  to  meet  all  requirements.  The  following  suggestions  are  offered  as  modifications 
which  might  be  made,  and  thus  forestall  all  criticisms  : 

First,  as  to  back  draughts,  which  under  ordinary  conditions  are  impossible,  they  could  be 
remedied  very  easily  by  a system  of  automatic  valves,  thus  making  such  currents  impossible. 
Second,  as  to  the  possibility  of  the  dissemination  of  diseased  germs  from  the  top  of  the  stack,  our 
present  knowledge  of  the  subject  of  bacteriology  would  lead  us  to  believe  improbable,  y et  this 
could  be  remedied  by  causing  the  air  to  pass  through  actual  fire  instead  of  over  it  as  now,  thus 
effectually  destroying  all  germs.  Third,  as  demonstrated  at  the  meeting  of  the  physicians  in  the 
Waring  School  building,  it  seems  that  during  the  summer  months,  when  the  doors  and  windows 
are  open,  there  may  be  a reverse  current  of  air  from  one  room  to  another,  and  it  seemed  to  be  the  im- 
pression of  many  of  those  present  that  it  would  be  an  improvement  in  the  ventilating  system  to 
have  each  room  connected  separately  with  the  foul  air  gathering  room. — From  Cleveland  Medical 
Gazette. 


